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National

- Attacking Hezbollah, Israel fighter jets bomb Lebanon

- SIT to investigate alleged sexual abuse in Malayalam film industry

- With hundreds stranded in Brazil, India to broach topic with Minister

- CBI completes polygraph test in Kolkata rape-murder

- Blushing trees

- Trade unions awaiting fine print of UPS

- Laws to curb crimes against women have been made stricter, says Modi

- Rajnath visits U.S. submarine testing facility as India eyes similar centre

- Judiciary advocating secular civil code for decades: Modi

- Leaders from various parties show support for Palestinian cause

- RDSO report flags challenges faced by train controllers

- 10 coaches of Dhanbad-bound train detach in U.P., no one hurt

- ‘Anil Ambani reviewing SEBI order, to take appropriate steps’

- Adoption rate of children with special needs remains low

- Central trade unions are waiting for fine print of Unified Pension Scheme

- With Unified Pension Scheme, BJP-led govt. seeks to pull out a plank of the Opposition

- Congress to continue to frame social justice as centrepiece of its politics

- Gang rape of girl in Assam triggers a war of words between Congress, BJP

- 2024 verdict forced Centre’s U-turn on pensions: Kharge

- At party meeting in Ranchi, Chirag Paswan unanimously re-elected LJP(RV) president

- Bihar polls: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj to contest all seats

- Mayawati rules out future poll alliances with Congress, SP

- Tax demands over non-linked PANs leave firms in tight spot

- Classical language centres ask for autonomy

- 14263

- Large number of youth eager to join politics, says Modi

- Drug money is endangering security and economy: Shah

- The birth of Lord Krishna

- Warship INS Mumbai to make first visit to Sri Lanka today

- ONGC opens well in KG field to raise oil production

Attacking Hezbollah, Israel fighter jets launch strikes across Lebanon

Associated Press

Jerusalem

Military calls it pre-emptive strike as the Iran-backed militant group launches attack across the border to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders; heavy exchange of fire has not escalated the situation but the region remains tense

Air attack: Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli air strike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon on Sunday. AFPKAWNAT HAJU

Israel launched a wave of air strikes across southern Lebanon early on Sunday in what it said was a pre-emptive strike to avert a large Hezbollah attack. The militant group responded that it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders last month.

The heavy exchange of fire does not appear to have ignited a long-feared war, but the situation remains tense. Egypt was meanwhile hosting high-level talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which diplomats hope will tamp down regional tensions.

The Israeli military said it struck because Hezbollah was planning to launch a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles.

Soon after, Hezbollah said it had launched an attack on Israeli military positions as an initial response to the killing of Fouad Shukur in an Israeli air strike.

By mid-morning, it appeared that the exchange had ended, with both sides saying they had only aimed at military targets. While at least three fighters were killed in the strikes on Lebanon, the Israeli military said one soldier with its navy was killed.

‘Determined to defend’

“We are determined to do everything to defend our country, to return the residents of the north securely to their homes and to continue upholding a simple rule: whoever harms us, we will harm them,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Air-raid sirens were reported throughout northern Israel, and the country’s Ben-Gurion International Airport closed and diverted flights for about an hour due to the threat of attack.

Israel’s Home Front Command raised the alert level across northern Israel before later lifting restrictions in most areas.

Hezbollah said its attack involved more than 320 Katyusha rockets aimed at multiple sites in Israel and a “large number” of drones.

It said the operation targeted “a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later” as well as “enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome (missile defence) platforms”.

Hezbollah said the strikes would allow it to launch more attacks deeper into Israel, but a later statement said “military operations for today have been completed”. It dismissed Israel’s claim to have thwarted a stronger attack, without providing evidence for its own claims.

U.S. President Joe Biden was “closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon,” according to Sean Savett, a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

S.R. Praveen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

1 of 2 Siddique-

2 of 2 Ranjith Vinod V Sanker 2602@Thiruvananthapuram

The Justice K. Hema committee’s report on the issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry continued to rock the film world, as Sunday witnessed the exits of two high-profile men holding important positions.

The State government, under pressure from the Opposition and the film industry, set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), including senior women police officers, to conduct a preliminary inquiry into sexual harassment allegations made against several actors.

Actor Siddique quit as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) following allegations of sexual assault levelled by a young actor, while Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Chairperson Ranjith submitted his resignation after Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

The debates sparked in the public sphere by the release of the report appeared to have emboldened many women to speak out about harrowing experiences they have had in the past. Over the past couple of days, quite a few women, including Ms. Mitra and the young actor, have come out with allegations against actors and filmmakers.

‘Voluntary move’

Mr. Siddique confirmed to The Hindu that he had submitted his resignation letter to actor Mohanlal, the president of AMMA, in light of the allegations against him. “I submitted the resignation voluntarily since it is inappropriate to continue in that position when I am facing such an allegation. No one demanded my resignation,” he said. Asked about his response to the allegations, he said he would respond in detail after getting legal advice.

The young actor had spoken to presspersons on Saturday evening, accusing Mr. Siddique of sexually assaulting her after calling her to Thiruvananthapuram for the audition of a “non-existent movie”.

“Siddique got in touch with me through a social media platform and offered me a role in a Tamil movie in which his son would also be acting. Later, I came to Thiruvananthapuram to take forward the offer. It was a trap. He sexually assaulted me for an hour in a hotel room. He hit and kicked me when I resisted,” she said.

Mr. Siddique’s resignation comes two days after he spoke to presspersons to give AMMA’s first official response to the Hema Committee report. He had specifically said that the organisation had not received any complaints about a “casting couch”.

Hardly an hour after Mr. Siddique’s resignation came Mr. Ranjith’s announcement. He confirmed to The Hindu that he has submitted his resignation to Kerala Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian.

Several women have also accused former AMMA general secretary Edavela Babu, and actors Mukesh, Sudheesh, and Riyas Khan of sexually harassing or misbehaving with them. The public disclosures reportedly forced the State government to change its earlier stand that it required a complaint or legally relevant materials to act on the allegations and the K. Hema Committee report.

India to take up plight of stranded citizens in Sao Paolo with Brazil Minister

Suhasini Haidar

NEW DELHI

Mauro VieiraMOORTHY RV

With Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira landing here on Sunday, India may raise with him the plight of hundreds of men and women, many of them Indian, stranded at an airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil as they are suspected to be undocumented immigrants.

Mr. Vieira is here to hold the ninth India-Brazil Joint Commission meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. They will also discuss the agenda for the G-20 Summit in Rio De Janeiro on November 18 and 19, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement announcing the visit.

While Brazil’s new regulations to crackdown on illegal immigration routes and the issue of more than 660 people, including more than 100 Indians, being held in Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport for several weeks, are not on the formal agenda, officials expect that they will be raised. “We have seen reports of people stranded who ask to be admitted [to Brazil] as refugees,” said a source, adding that no information has been shared with New Delhi for privacy reasons and to protect those requesting asylum.

On August 22, Brazil’s Justice Ministry also announced it would impose new restrictions on travellers from “certain Asian countries” who transit through its airports beginning August 26, and will not allow them to stay in Brazil.

The measure is expected to target Indians, Chinese, Nepalese and Vietnamese citizens in particular, who are believed to be part of a growing trend of illegal immigrants landing and requesting asylum, and then taking the land route from Brazil to the Mexican border with the United States in order to cross over to the U.S. and Canada.

Rise in asylum seekers

According to the U.S. Justice Department, the number of such “asylum applications” has increased 61 times between 2013 and 2023, growing from 69 to 4,239.

“With Brazil holding the G-20 Presidency this year, the Ministers will also discuss how the two countries as [part of the] Troika can take forth key G-20 outcomes from the Indian Presidency last year,” the Ministry said, adding that the two sides would discuss ways to further strengthen the India-Brazil strategic partnership signed in 2006. Mr. Vieira is meeting with business leaders on ways to grow bilateral trade, which has ranged between $10 and $15 billion in the past few years.

The Joint Commission will meet on Tuesday, with cooperation in defence, agriculture and energy on the agenda.

CBI completes polygraph test in Kolkata rape-murder

Shiv Sahay Singh

KOLKATA

Place of unrest: Security personnel stand guard outside the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Sunday.PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday completed polygraph tests on seven people in connection with the rape and murder of a resident doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

On Saturday, polygraph tests were conducted on four doctors who had dinner with the victim in the early hours of August 9. On Sunday, the CBI team visited the Presidency Correctional Home and conducted the test on the accused Sanjay Roy, a civic police volunteer. Tests were also conducted on another police volunteer, and on Sandip Kumar Ghosh, the former principal of R.G. Kar MCH. All seven gave their consent to the test.

The CBI also conducted searches in the residences of Dr. Ghosh and other officials related to the R.G. Kar MCH, including the home of Sanjay Vashisth, former superintendent of the hospital.

These searches and raids were part of the CBI’s investigation into allegations of financial irregularities involving Dr. Ghosh.

Resident doctors at the R.G. Kar Hospital vowed to continue their strike.

“The motive of the horrific crime on August 9 is still not clear to us and thus all of us are still in danger. We want punishment of the accused and those who have aided in destruction of the evidence,” a resident doctor said, addressing a press conference at the hospital.

The resident doctors said that the administration is trying to break their unity, adding that attempts are being made to give a political colour to their protests.

Blushing trees

Wholesome Kashmir: Workers harvest juicy, sun-ripened Kashmiri apples at an orchard at Handwara on Sunday as the season starts.PTI

Trade unions awaiting fine print of UPS

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Central trade unions offered a mixed response to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), with most saying they are awaiting the notification for clarity on the scheme’s details.

However, even those who welcomed the scheme bemoaned the fact that the UPS requires the employee to contribute 10% of their salary to the scheme’s fund.

Laws to curb crimes against women have been made stricter, says Modi

Abhinay Deshpande

Buldhana

Prime Minister says the Centre is with the State governments in every way to stop atrocities against women ; highlighting the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he says measures have been put in place to ensure swift action and prevent tampering of e-FIR

Show of support: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interaction with Lakhpati Didis in Jalgaon on Sunday.PTI-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his government was reinforcing laws to impose stricter punishments for crimes against women.

“I assure you, the Union government is with the State governments in every way to stop atrocities against women. We cannot stop until this sinful mentality has been eradicated from Indian society,” Mr. Modi said.

His statement comes amid widespread protests in West Bengal following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a hospital in Kolkata.

Speaking at a rally of Lakhpati Didis — women members of self-help groups earning ₹1 lakh annually — at Jalgaon in north Maharashtra, Mr. Modi said his administration had done more for women in the past decade than all the previous governments combined since Independence.

Pointing out that first information reports (FIR) were not registered on time earlier and cases became very time-consuming, Mr. Modi said such obstacles had been removed in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), where an entire chapter had been dedicated to atrocities against women and children.

Mr. Modi said victims could register e-FIR if they did not wish to go to the police station and measures were in place to ensure swift action and prevent tampering of the e-FIR at the police station level.

“It would help in speedy investigation and strict punishment for the culprits. The new laws have provisions for death penalty and life imprisonment for sexual crimes against minors. BNS clearly defines false promises of marriage and deception to act against cheating in the name of marriage,” Mr. Modi said, reminding all State governments and political parties that atrocities against women were an unpardonable sin and the guilty and accomplices should not be spared.

Governments may change, but our biggest responsibility as a society and as a government should be to protect the life and dignity of women, he said.

He said that before 2014, women self-help groups received less than ₹25,000 crore in loans, whereas in the past 10 years, it had surged to ₹9 lakh crore.

He also interacted with Lakhpati Didis and launched a ₹2,500-crore revolving fund that will benefit 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh self-help groups.

Lauds State govt.

The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra for the State’s continued stability and prosperity, noting that Maharashtra was a key player in India’s development, with its future hinging on further investments and job creation. “Maharashtra is the shining star of a developed India. The future of the State lies in more investment and job growth,” he said.

Rajnath visits U.S. submarine testing facility as India eyes similar centre

Dinakar Peri

NEW DELHI

Rajnath Singh visits the William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel in the Naval Surface Warfare Centre, in Memphis on Sunday. ANIANI

In a reflection of the growing cooperation in undersea domain and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) between India and the U.S., also a priority area between the Quad partners, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, during his ongoing tour of the U.S., visited the William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC) in the Naval Surface Warfare Centre at Memphis, Tennessee, as India also plans to set up a similar facility.

“The LCC is one of the world’s largest and most technically advanced water tunnel facilities for testing submarines, torpedoes, naval surface ships and propellers. The Raksha Mantri was briefed at the facility, and he witnessed an actual tunnel experiment,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement. “The discussions also intend to support the ongoing proposal for establishment of similar facility for indigenous design and development in India.”

After maritime domain awareness, undersea domain awareness has emerged as a key focus area for India and among the Quad as China rapidly expands its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean and larger Indo-Pacific.

In addition, during the ongoing visit, the two sides took steps on an earlier understanding of having more Indian military liaison officers at key U.S. military commands. A memorandum of agreement was signed between India and the U.S. regarding the deployment of liaison officers. India will be accordingly deploying the first liaison officer to the Headquarters Special Operations Command in Florida, U.S., the Ministry said.

The Security of Supply Agreement (SoSA) signed on Friday is one of the two broad-based defence industrial cooperation agreements currently under discussion between the two countries as cooperation between defence industries deepens, and comes following the conclusion of all four foundational agreements.

Supply chain stability

In June 2023, during a visit of U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin to India, he and Mr. Singh agreed to initiate negotiations for a SoSA and a ‘Reciprocal Defence Procurement’ (RDP) agreement which will promote long-term supply chain stability.

“Through this SoSA, the U.S. and India agree to provide reciprocal priority support for goods and services that promote national defence. The arrangement will enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions to meet national security needs,” a statement from the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) said.

Both Ministers appreciated the progress made in operationalising the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), a Quad initiative, and lauded the ongoing efforts by India to enhance the Maritime Domain Awareness for the partners in the Indian Ocean Region. They also welcomed the ongoing Indian participation in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and noted that India will deploy its Navy personnel in CMF’s Combined Task Force 150 headquarters in 2025.

The IPMDA announced by the Quad comprising of India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. aims to establish a comprehensive system for monitoring and securing maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific.

Judiciary advocating secular civil code for decades: Modi

The Hindu Bureau

JAIPUR

From the High Courts to the Supreme Court, the judiciary has strengthened the resolve of ‘Nation First’ on such issues several times Narendra Modi Prime Minister

Reiterating his call for a “secular civil code”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said though his government had become vocal on the issue for the first time, the judiciary in the country had been advocating it for several decades.

He praised the judiciary for fulfilling its “moral responsibility” of being vigilant and active on national issues.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of platinum jubilee celebrations of the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur, Mr. Modi referred to his Independence Day remarks and said the judiciary’s “clear stand” on secular civil code, which was an issue of “national unity”, would strengthen the countrymen’s faith in the courts.

Reframing ideas

Mr. Modi had given a push to the controversial subject of the Uniform Civil Code, reframing it as a secular civil code, in his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15.

He affirmed that the country was following a “communal civil code” which discriminated people on the basis of religion.

The Uniform Civil Code finds a mention as a Directive Principle of State Policy in Article 44 of the Constitution, which is non-justiciable.

While the Supreme Court has over the years described the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as desirable in several of its judgments, it also advised restraint in some verdicts and said a one-stroke implementation could be counterproductive to the unity and integrity of the nation.

‘Nation first’

Mr. Modi praised the decisions of the courts in matters such as the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which he described as an example of “constitutional integration”, and the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, which he said was a “humanitarian law”.

“From the High Courts to the Supreme Court, the judiciary has strengthened the resolve of ‘Nation First’ on such issues several times,” he said.

Mr. Modi said the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which replaced Indian Penal Code, would free the nation from the “colonial mindset” and advance human thought, as it was based on the ideals of justice rather than punishment. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure justice to all… The spirit of BNS should be made as effective as possible,” he said.

He said his government had repealed hundreds of colonial laws that had become irrelevant. Emphasising the use of modern technology to ensure justice for common people, he said more than 18,000 courts had been computerised and over 3,000 court complexes and 1,200 jails connected to video conferencing facilities. All of this would give way to paperless courts, e-filing, electronic summons service and the facilities for virtual hearing, he added.

Leaders from various parties show support for Palestinian cause

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Mohammad Makram Balawi

Leaders of several Indian political parties, including the Opposition Congress, the Janata Dal (United), which is part of the ruling coalition, the Samajwadi Party (SP), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have unequivocally condemned the ongoing “Zionist aggression” and the “heinous genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel” amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

In a statement on Sunday, the leaders asked the Indian government to work to “ensure peace and justice” in the region.

Samajwadi Party MPs Javed Ali and Mohibbulah, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi, and Congress leader Danish Ali were among those who joined Mohammad Makram Balawi, the secretary-general of the League of Parliamentarians for Al-Quds, a pro-Palestinian body, at a meeting here to convey their support for their cause.

Offering a detailed description of Israel’s alleged violation of international laws by targeting civilians, Mr. Balawi said that more than half of those killed in Israeli attacks were women and children.

‘Affront to humanity’

“This brutal assault is not only an affront to humanity but also a gross violation of international law and the principles of justice and peace,” the statement by the Indian political leaders said.

It also cited India’s historical support to the Palestinian cause.

“We take pride in the fact that India was the first non-Arab country to recognise the State of Palestine in 1988, and has consistently supported the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, sovereignty and liberation,” they said.

RDSO report flags challenges faced by train controllers

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

A study by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), which functions under the Railway Ministry, has found that train controllers face multiple challenges at work, including an “unattractive” pay scale, huge stress due to vacancies leading to health concerns, and a lack of basic amenities.

The report, which was submitted to the Railway Board recently, said Section Controllers perform high-strain jobs, their task made more difficult by the around 15-20% vacancy, medically-de-categorised officers posted in the department and the absence of appropriate reward either in terms of money, or esteem and career growth.

Titled ‘The challenges faced by Section Controllers in carrying out their duties effectively’, the report aims at exploring improvements in the selection procedure, training, and infrastructures for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of train operations.

The Indian Railways is one of the largest networks in the world with thousands of trains traversing various sections of almost 1,05,555 km of tracks daily, the report states. “This mammoth activity is controlled by 68 operation centres over the IR network called the Divisional Control Office.” The Divisional Control Office, situated at divisional headquarters, plays a vital role in the entire operation of the railway network, it says.

The rail network in a division is subdivided into sections consisting of several stations. “The trains running over these sections are controlled and monitored by the Section Controllers working round the clock in shift duties on the Control board.”

The RDSO team collected data from various divisional control offices and found that there are vacancies ranging from 15% to 24%. “High vacancy in the cadre ultimately affects the working condition of the staff on roll. Under strenuous conditions, the quality of work also suffers,” the report says.

10 coaches of Dhanbad-bound train detach in U.P., no one hurt

Press Trust of India

Bijnor

People gather after at least 10 bogies of the Ganga Sutlej Express train uncoupled near Chakraj Mal area, in Bijnor on Sunday. PTI

At least 10 coaches got detached from the Dhanbad-bound Ganga Sutlej Express train near the Chakraj Mal area in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor early on Sunday, officials said.

No passenger was hurt in the incident.

Additional Superintendent of Police Dharam Singh Marchal told presspersons, “Some coaches of a train headed to Dhanbad separated after decoupling from the engine and other coaches due to some technical problem at around 4 a.m.”

According to Railway officials, the incident occurred when the coupling between two sleeper coaches separated.

Over 200 candidates on way to give the Uttar Pradesh Police recruitment exam were travelling on the train and the local police and Railway administration made arrangements to send them to exam centres by buses.

‘Anil Ambani reviewing SEBI order, to take appropriate steps’

The Hindu Bureau

MUMBAI

Reliance ADA Group chairman Anil Ambani is reviewing an order passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India on August 22 imposing a fine and banning him from the securities markets for five years in the Reliance Home Finance Ltd. (RHFL) case and will take appropriate steps as legally advised, his spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.

“Mr. Ambani had resigned from the Board of Firectors of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. and Reliance Power Ltd. pursuant to SEBI’s interim order dated 11 February 2022 in the matter of RHFL, and is in compliance with the said interim order for the last two and a half years,” the spokesperson added.

Not parties to the case

In separate statements, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. and Reliance Power Ltd. stated that they were not noticees or parties to the proceedings before SEBI in which the order had been passed.

No directions were given in the order against both companies.

As per the statements, Mr. Anil Ambani had resigned from the Board of Directors of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. and Reliance Power Ltd. pursuant to the interim order dated February 11, 2022, passed by SEBI in the same proceedings. Therefore, the SEBI order dated August 22 had no bearing whatsoever on the business and affairs of both companies, they said.

Adoption rate of children with special needs remains low

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Of the 18,179 adoptions recorded since 2019, only 1,404 involved children with special needs even as the absolute numbers of adoptions saw an increase over the next five years, according to official data.

Though the number of children with special needs for adoption has risen, the adoption rate is still significantly low, activists pointed out.

Children with special needs require additional support due to physical, developmental, behavioural or emotional challenges.

RTI query

In 2019-20, India saw a total of 3,745 adoptions — 3,351 in-country and 394 international. Of the total number, only 56 boys and 110 girls with special needs were adopted, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) said in its response to an RTI query.

As of July 5, 2024, 420 children with special needs were waiting for adoption in childcare institutions across India, CARA said.

Central trade unions are waiting for fine print of Unified Pension Scheme

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Sangh-affiliated BMS seeks clarity on exit payout ratio , future Pay Commissions’ impact, fate of tax benefits, and hikes for oldest retirees; Left unions say ‘market gambling’ with funds will continue

Members of the East Central Railway Karmachari Union staging a protest in Patna for restoration of old pension scheme. File photo

Central trade unions offered a mixed response to the Unified Pension Scheme, with most saying they are awaiting the notification for clarity on the new scheme’s details, including on the ratio of the lumpsum payment at retirement, future revisions, and tax benefits.

However, even those who welcomed the scheme bemoaned the fact that the UPS, unlike the old pension scheme (OPS), requires the employee to contribute 10% of her salary to the scheme’s fund.

Shiv Gopal Mishra, secretary of the Joint Consultative Machinery set up for conciliatory purposes between the government and its employees, welcomed the UPS.

He told presspersons on Sunday that the decision would have retrospective effect, meaning that those who joined after January 1, 2004 and retired under the NPS will now be eligible for UPS benefits.

“The only issue is that UPS is contributory, as is the NPS. Otherwise, 90% of the provisions under the OPS are there under the UPS,” he said.

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, a trade union affiliated to the Sangh Parivar, also welcomed the decision, with BMS general secretary Ravindra Himte saying that the Centre had attempted to overcome the shortcomings of the NPS through the UPS.

“The feature of commutation of pension was available in OPS, not in NPS/UPS. However, some other important features of UPS are still not clear, such as ratio of lumpsum payment on exit; revision of pension by future Pay Commissions; continuation of tax benefits; increase in pension on completion of 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100 years. For these clarifications, we have to wait till the publication of detailed notification of UPS,” he said.

The Central trade unions in the Opposition camp opposed the UPS. The Hind Mazdoor Sabha, of which Mr. Mishra is the vice-president, said the new scheme is meant to hoodwink the employees. “If MPs and MLAs will get pension without any contribution, why is the Centre denying it to its employees,” asked HMS general secretary Harbhajan Singh Siddhu.

Similarly, the Left unions CITU and AITUC also questioned the UPS. “The Modi-led NDA government with its neoliberal pursuit of safeguarding the interests of speculative crony capital has come with this UPS with some modification of benefits with additional contribution of 4.5% from the government only to further its investment of pension funds of ₹10,53,850 crore called assets under management of total 99,77,165 employees under NPS as on July 31, 2024 in the share market,” said CITU general secretary Tapan Sen.

AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said the market gambling in the UPS will continue, claiming that the Centre wants to invest the ₹6 lakh crore accumulated with the NPS Fund in the market.

With Unified Pension Scheme, BJP-led govt. seeks to pull out a plank of the Opposition

Nistula Hebbar

NEW DELHI

1 of 2

2 of 2 UPS ensures dignity and financial security for govt. employees, aligning with our commitment to their well-being and a secure future Narendra Modi Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have repeated most of his Ministers from his previous term, but some policy prescriptions in his third term show departures, a signal that he has taken political lessons from the Opposition’s Lok Sabha campaign to heart.

On Saturday, the Union Cabinet cleared the Unified Pension Scheme for Union government employees.

With this, the government hopes to pull out at least one plank of the Opposition, especially of the Congress, which had promised to implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which promises a fixed amount of pension that is not dependent on market forces. The promise to implement the OPS had been a major plank for the Congress in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election, which it went on to win.

The BJP has been resisting the OPS as it would, according to the party, reverse the process of pension reforms, with high costs to tax payers. With the UPS for Central government employees, the National Democratic Alliance government has tried to address the core demands of employees, with fewer demands on the exchequer, as the UPS is contributory as well.

Mr. Modi, who met with the unions representing government employees, said his government’s move reflected its commitment to a secure future for government employees. “The Unified Pension Scheme ensures dignity and financial security for government employees, aligning with our commitment to their well-being and a secure future,” the Prime Minister said on the social media platform X.

Beneficiary base

The move will help 23 lakh Central government employees. “With State polls coming up in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, all political parties will have to address the issue of pensions in their campaigns, whether or not, if they come to power, they will implement it,” a source in the government said. If States sign on to the UPS, the beneficiary base will explode to nearly 90 lakh people.

The decision by the PM and the Union Cabinet to not implement a creamy layer classification for reservations for Scheduled Castes after a Supreme Court verdict on sub-classifications of SCs, and the decision on the UPS are being seen as steps by the BJP to trip more Opposition planks. Therefore, while Mr. Modi has been projecting continuity from his second to his third term, in operative terms, that is not quite the case with the UPS, after arguing for the market-linked New Pension Scheme in the past.

Congress to continue to frame social justice as centrepiece of its politics

Sandeep Phukan

New Delhi

Rahul Gandhi

The Narendra Modi government quickly scrapped a proposal to induct mid-level officials into the bureaucracy through lateral entry to counter the Opposition’s allegations of “ending reservations”. However, it is clear that the Congress will continue to place social justice as the centrepiece of its politics.

On Saturday, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi positioned caste census as an essential step of a policy framework that ensures justice.

“For the Congress, the caste census is the foundation of policy making. It is a tool for policy making,” he said in Uttar Pradesh.

Mr. Gandhi is now pushing to end the 50% ceiling barrier for reservations, along with his pitch for a socio-economic survey of different communities. “Neither the caste census nor an economic survey or an institutional survey can be prevented and the 50% barrier will also fall. All of these will happen,” he said.

The party has also launched a 100-day “Samvidhan Rakshak Campaign” to enrol volunteers to protect the Constitution. But beyond the stated objective, the political goal is to portray the BJP as anti-reservation that would affect the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.

Centre’s rollback

Aware of the potential damage, the Union government not only quickly rolled back the proposed lateral entry hiring but also extended the provision of reservations to the lateral entry route.

Even during her address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu stressed social justice.

“Social justice is a top priority of the government, and it has taken several unprecedented initiatives for the welfare of SCs, STs, and other marginalised sections of society,” she said.

The statement not only reflected the Union government’s priorities but was also an acknowledgment of the political challenge mounted by the Opposition.

In a post on X on August 19, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge targeted the government’s disinvestment and outsourcing policies.

He alleged that 5.1 lakh posts from public sector undertakings (PSUs) had been eliminated in the past 10 years due to the BJP government’s disinvestment policy and casual and contractual recruitment had increased by 91%.

“The SC, ST, OBC, and EWS posts will now be given to people of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This is the BJP’s ‘Chakravyuh’ to change the Constitution by snatching reservations,” Mr. Kharge had alleged.

Gang rape of girl in Assam triggers a war of words between Congress, BJP

The Hindu Bureau

GUWAHATI

Seething rage: Local people staging a protest against the gang rape of a minor girl at Dhing in Nagaon district on Saturday. ANI

The gang rape of a 14-year-old girl at Dhing in central Assam on August 22 has triggered a war of words between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition Congress.

Taking to social media platform X on Saturday, the State BJP accused the Congress of jumping to the defence of the rape accused, who the police claimed had drowned after jumping into a pond in a bid to escape from police custody. The accused, Taijul, alias Tafazzul Ali, was in handcuffs.

“So, is it true that INCAssam is rolling out the red carpet, mobilizing every corner of its vast ecosystem and loyal supporters, to defend their ‘star’ of the Dhing incident who finally faced the music today? Must be because he hails from a particular community, right?” the BJP’s post read. “Assam is just dying to know — because, clearly, such a ‘worthy cause’ deserves nothing less than a well-oiled, covert operation funded by the highest levels, right?” the party asked with screenshots of posts by some presspersons on predicting an “encounter” on Friday.

The BJP also posted screenshots of comments by some journalists against “encounters” of people accused of crimes in Assam without a trial.

The Assam Congress countered by posting: “Nothing better was expected from @BJP4Assam than to communalise even rape & murder. To suppress voice of people you’ve started targeting journalists too.”

The party said its stand has always been clear “be it in Dhing, Lakhimpur, Hathras, Unnao, molestation of women wrestlers, rape & murder of doctor in Kolkata or garlanding of rapists & murderers of Bilkis Bano”.

“INC condemns every incident with equal fervour & doesn’t shy away from selective criticism. Every perpetrator irrespective of caste, creed & religion must be apprehended & punished by law,” the Congress said, slamming the BJP for being “influenced” by an “aberrant” Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma.

While political and social organisations criticised the government for failing to maintain law and order, the Director-General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh said the conviction rate in Assam under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code and Special and local laws increased from 16.75% in 2023 to 21.84% in 2024 up to July.

2024 verdict forced Centre’s U-turn on pensions: Kharge

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

The “U” in the Unified Pension Scheme stands for the U-turns that have been forced on the Narendra Modi government by the people after the Lok Sabha election results, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Sunday.

However, office-bearers of the party spoke in different voices. Praveen Chakravarty, head of All India Professional Congress, welcomed the policy, while Pawan Khera, chairperson of the media and publicity department, called it an “attack” on Dalits, tribal people and the Other Backward Class.

Mr. Kharge cited the rollback of the changes in the long-term capital gains tax and indexation and of the Broadcast Bill and the lateral-entry hiring process, as well as the government’s decision to send the Waqf Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, as other examples of U-turns.

We will keep ensuring accountability and protect 140 crore Indians from this despotic government,” he said in a post on X.

His party colleague and Lok Sabha member Manickam Tagore, in a post on X, said, “Dear Indian Voter, You reduced arrogance from 303 MPs to 240. You’ve shown the true strength of democracy and made the Prime Minister rethink his ways.”

“Pension for govt. staff in India is inherently a tax on the majority poor to pay the elite minority. So, OPS [old pension scheme] was reformed to NPS [new pension system] in 2013. But NPS did not assure a minimum amount for retired families. Now, UPS does that. UPS = NPS + Min guarantee. This is prudent & welcome,” Mr. Chakravarty said.

Taking a completely opposite stand, Mr. Khera said the new scheme “appears to be an attack on Dalits, Adivasis and Backward Classes”.

He said in many States, the maximum age for government jobs for reserved categories is 40, and it is 37 in Central Service. “Under this pension scheme, it is mandatory to provide 25 years of service to receive full pension. In such a situation, how will SC/ST/OBC employees be able to avail this facility,” he asked.

At party meeting in Ranchi, Chirag Paswan unanimously re-elected LJP(RV) president

The Hindu Bureau

Patna

Another term: Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan after the meeting in Ranchi on Sunday.ANI

Union Minister Chirag Paswan was on Sunday re-elected president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) for a five-year term. The decision was taken unanimously during the national executive meeting of party in Ranchi.

Mr. Paswan said the party was willing to contest the Assembly election in Jharkhand to strengthen its support base in the tribal-dominated State. Another National Democratic Alliance partner, the Janata Dal(U), has also said it wants to contest 11 seats in Jharkhand as part of the alliance.

“The main objective of the national executive meeting was to elect the national president and, once again I have been elected as president of the LJP(RV). In November 2019, I was elected to the post for the first time in the presence of Ram Vilas Paswan ji,” Mr. Paswan said while addressing a press conference in Ranchi after the meeting.

Mr. Paswan said that the State units would take the final call on whether to contest the election as part of an alliance or independently.

Bihar polls: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj

Election strategist-cum- activist Prashant Kishor on Sunday said his political organisation Jan Suraaj would contest all 243 Assembly seats in Bihar. Elections will be held in Bihar in October-November 2025. He said women candidates would be fielded in at least 40 seats. Mr. Kishor is currently on a padayatraacross Bihar which he kicked off from west Champaran on October 2, 2022. Since then, he has covered over 5,000 km through several districts of Bihar. Earlier, Mr. Kishor announced that Jan Suraaj will become a political party on October 2 and it will have a 25-member central committee.

Mayawati rules out future poll alliances with Congress, SP

BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday took a dig at the Congress’ “Samvidhan Samman Sammelan” and urged people to be cautious of the “double standards” of the party and its ally the Samajwadi Party. She also made it clear that her party would not form any alliance with the likes of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in any election. In a series of posts on X, the BSP chief blasted the Congress for “not honouring” B.R. Ambedkar with the Bharat Ratna. The followers of Ambedkar will never forgive the Congress, which organised the Sammelan in Prayagraj, for not conferring the architect of the Constitution with the Bharat Ratna, she said.

“Be cautious of their double standards of thinking, behaviour and character,” she said.PTI

Tax demands over non-linked PANs leave firms in tight spot

Vikas Dhoot

NEW DELHI

Employers receive I-T notices for short deduction of taxes on income of staff who had not linked PAN with Aadhaar before May 31; many grievances have been raised over the issue, say experts

The Revenue Department, this April, had said PANs will become inoperative if not linked with Aadhaar by May 31.Getty ImagesiStockphoto

Many employers are in a fix over demand notices from the Income Tax (I-T) Department for short deduction of tax on the income of employees who had not complied with a May 31 deadline to link their PAN and Aadhaar numbers, with some firms reporting tax demands even for workers earning less than the taxable income threshold.

The Revenue Departmen in April had said that PANs will become inoperative if not linked with Aadhaar by May 31, necessitating tax deductions to be made at a higher rate, and refunds being withheld. This marked an extension from a similar directive last year that these consequences of inoperative non-Aadhaar linked PANs were to kick in from July 1, 2023.

75 crore PANs issued

As of March 31, 2024, the department had issued about 75 crore PANs or Permanent Account Numbers. By January this year, a little under 11.5 crore PANs were yet to be linked to Aadhaar.

“While the language of the circular is clear that such higher rate is applicable only in cases where tax is deductible, the tax authorities while processing the withholding tax returns have been applying higher rates even where the salary income is below the prescribed threshold,” Anita Basrur, partner, at Sudit K. Parekh & Co. LLP told The Hindu.

“This is creating unnecessary issues for the companies as they have been reporting cases below the threshold limit merely for the purposes of issuing salary certificates [Form 16] to such employees,” she noted.

Many companies are asking employees to link the PAN after receipt of the demand notices, and have been revising their withholding tax returns, but there is no clarity on the taxman’s stance in such cases.

“It is seen that the tax authorities are not considering such cases and the demand still remains as payable since the linking is after the extended deadline. Many grievances have also been filed in cases where payments are below the prescribed threshold, and thus there is no requirement to withhold tax and the question of higher rate does not apply,” she pointed out.

“While one may state that there is no loss to the companies since they may recover the amount from the employees, it will be difficult to recover the tax in cases where salary of the employees is below threshold or in cases where employees have left the organisation,” Ms. Basrur said.

Queries to the Central Board of Direct Taxes on the issue had not elicited a response till the time of going to press.

Akhil Chandna, partner at Grant Thornton Bharat, suggested, “For financial year 2023-24, they should deposit the outstanding tax amount if the employee’s PAN and Aadhaar remained unlinked after May. Thereafter, the employees should also claim the TDS [tax deduction at source] amount by filing or revising their tax return for 2023-24 subject to PAN-Aadhaar linkage”.

Suresh Surana, a chartered accountant, said employers may receive notices for short deductions if they have deducted taxes at a rate lower than 20%, which would also be subject to interest and penal consequences. “Employers must verify that all employees have linked their PAN with Aadhaar to ensure accurate TDS and avoid such notices. Where employees had linked their PAN and Aadhaar on or before May 31, employers would not be liable for short deduction,” he said.

However, linking PAN and Aadhaar subsequently may not impact these demand notices, Mr. Surana cautioned.

Classical language centres ask for autonomy

Sreeparna Chakrabarty

New Delhi

The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada in Mysuru.SRIRAM MA

Special centres set up for the promotion of Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia after they were designated classical languages are demanding autonomy in their functioning in order to better carry out their functions.

India has six classical languages — Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. While four of the centres for classical languages function under the aegis of the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, the centre for Tamil is autonomous. For the promotion of Sanskrit, dedicated universities also receive funds directly from the Union Education Ministry.

At a meeting on March 18, the project directors of the centres for Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia demanded that their institutes be made autonomous. Following this, the centres were asked to submit detailed project reports, which was done in June. However, no further direction has been received from the Education Ministry as of now, sources told The Hindu.

Once a language is notified as a classical language, the Education Ministry provides certain benefits to promote it, including two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in the said languages. A Centre of Excellence for Studies in the classical language is set up, and the University Grants Commission is requested to create a certain number of Chairs for the classical language at least in the Central Universities.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha in 2020, the Union government had said that in the previous three years, ₹643.84 crore had been spent on the promotion of Sanskrit, while ₹29 crore was spent on the other five classical Indian languages.

The sources said the chief problem facing these four language centres was that any event or activity planned for them had to get financial sanction from the CIIL. Most of the time, the centre has to hold the event first and then get the cost reimbursed from the CIIL, making it difficult to organise many such programmes.

This also means many positions for research scholars as well as administrative staff remain vacant in the absence of regular funds.

At the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Telugu in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, as against an approved staff requirement of 36 people, only 12 are on board.

Similarly, the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Odia in Bhubaneswar has the approval for 30 senior and associate fellows and 10 administrative staff, but has been able to hire only eight.

In 2023, the Education Ministry allocated ₹1.76 crore for the Odia centre but it could spend only ₹56 lakh.

“There is no funding in the centre and the Project Director has no financial drawing power — he has to take approval from the nodal officer, the Director, CIIL, and is constrained to spend from his own pocket to conduct any programme and then get it reimbursed from CIIL. This difficulty will be solved when the centre will be autonomous,” a senior official at the Odia centre told The Hindu.

“I have been here for the past two years. We do not have any financial resources. Only two persons are here — myself, and a daily wage employee. There are several vacancies but none have been filled yet,” the Project Director at the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Malayalam said.

(set by Gussalufz)

1 of 4

2 of 4

3 of 4

4 of 4 Scan to play

Across

1 Setter's scheme of notes duplicated around (4-4)

5 Party beat (6)

9 Unbending at the core during cycling cuts control (7)

10 Skip toilet comprising a pit in disrepair (7)

11 A leafy vegetable, fish, and a bit of daru (5)

12 Q's successor, MI6 field agent, and M, in the middle of reviewing secure artillery stores (8)

13 Substitute gatekeeper sat zealously guarding (6)

14 Getting agitated, as centre brings back old laws (2-6)

18 Gather together in pure lust, horsing around (6,2)

20 Am attached to a kind of sex that is sinful (6)

23 Today is Monday, day to go back to pleasing your boss? (8)

25 Stop, that hurts! Leave! (5)

27 Press out of control — essentially impudent, chasing old lover (7)

28 Request a slice of toast after short meal course (7)

29 What a search engine did with the web, blowing a kiss, undoubtedly (6)

30 Regressively old-fashioned, according to correspondent (8)

Down

1 Consequence of cruel punishment at cage-free chicken farm (1,5,3)

2 Doctor wary after A.I. ultimately reconfigures respiratory tracts (7)

3 Extremely erotic spot in/around the bottom, according to hearsay (9)

4 Character building is talked about, but only a little (2,4)

6 Cool river for beast (5)

7 Weak ministry with nincompoop at the top, controlled by spies from the south (7)

8 Back North Indian language for 80% (4)

10 College entrance test after consuming (only a third) rice porridge (6)

15 Um... bro went off for a call (6,3)

16 Is a lit waiter dumping everyone in the sea? (4,5)

17 In vain, some label it "UFO" when seen heading skywards (6)

19 Remarkably inspired rodents at work (7)

21 Studied encounter in song with lamb, possibly (3,4)

22 Victim: pedestrian, somewhat slow (6)

24 Does uncle regularly sport tie? (5)

26 By now, Gussalufz is a legend (4)

Large number of youth eager to join politics, says Modi

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that a large number of youth in India were eager to enter politics but felt it was “inconceivable” for them as they lacked a political legacy.

In his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat, Mr Modi said his call in his Independence Day speech to one lakh youth without any political background to join politics had “garnered tremendous response”. “We thus come to know that a large number of our youth are eagerly ready to enter politics. All they are looking for is the right opportunity and apt guidance,” he said.

“Some youth have also written that dynastic politics crushes new talent... I hope that now with our collective efforts, youth who do not possess a political background will also be able to come forward in politics... their experience and their fervour will prove useful for the country,” the Prime Minister said.

Citing the example of the freedom struggle, he said during that period, many people without any political background had come forward, “They took the plunge for the sake of India’s freedom. Once more, we require the same spirit to attain the goal of Viksit Bharat,” he added.

Campaign on nutrition

Mr. Modi also urged people to connect with campaigns pertaining to awareness of nutrition. Mentioning the special ‘mother and child’ committees established under Anganwadi centres, he said they tracked malnourished children, pregnant women, and newborn babies. “A tiny effort on your part will help a lot in the fight against malnutrition,” Mr. Modi said.

During the programme, he also spoke to young entrepreneurs, alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, and their space startup GalaxEye.

Human-animal bond

Mr. Modi spoke about Barekuri village in Assam, where people of the Moran community have a deep bond with Hoolock gibbons. “When they realised that gibbons love bananas a lot, they started growing bananas on their farms. Besides, they decided that they would perform rituals connected with the birth and death of gibbons exactly as they would have performed for their near and dear ones,” he said.

He mentioned young people in Arunachal Pradesh who use 3D printing technology to protect wild animals from being hunted for horns and tusks.

Drug money is endangering security and economy: Shah

The Hindu Bureau

RAIPUR

Amit ShahRavi Choudhary

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said consumption of contraband in Chhattisgarh was higher than the national average. He virtually inaugurated the zonal office of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) here.

Mr. Shah said the percentage use of sedatives in Chhattisgarh was 1.45, which was more than the national average and the use of cannabis (ganja) was also 4.98%, which was also more than the national average.

Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve of a drug-free India by 2047, the Home Minister said that apart from ruining the country’s young generation, it weakened the country’s national security and economy as the money earned from illicit drug trade promoted terrorism and left-wing extremism.

NCB performance

On the action taken against drugs and the performance of the NCB in the past 10 years, Mr. Shah presented the comparative numbers between that period and the preceding decade. He said that from 2004 to 2014, a total of 1,250 cases were registered whereas in the 10 years from 2014 to 2024, 4,150 cases had been registered with a rise of 230%. Between 2004 and 2014, there were a total of 1,360 arrests, which had now risen to 6,300, he added.

On seizure volumes, too, he said 1.52 lakh kg of drugs was seized between 2004 and 2014 while 5.43 lakh kg was seized between 2014 and 2024, which was an increase of 257%.

The value of drugs seized between 2004 and 2014 was ₹5,900 crore, while the value of those seized between 2014 and 2024 was ₹22,000 crore, according to the Minister.

The birth of Lord Krishna

The Supreme Being manifested on earth many times, but it is His avatar as Rama and Krishna that are hailed as purna, punniya avatar as there was a stated purpose in each, said Damal S. Ramakrishnan in a discourse. In Rama avatar He manifested to show how to lead a life of dharma. The purpose of Krishna avatar was to establish dharma and rid the earth of adharmic forces.

Upon Earth’s supplication to Brahma on the atrocities of the asuras on earth, he informed Her and the devas, “Bhagavan will be born on earth in the house of Vasudeva. Adisesha, who is part of the Lord, will be born as His elder brother.” He also ensures Vasudeva and Devaki, sister of the asura Kamsa, are married. When the newly weds leave for Vasudeva’s place, Kamsa himself drives the chariot. However, an ethereal voice tells Kamsa that the eighth issue of Devaki would kill him. When Kamsa draws his sword to kill her, Vasudeva applies the four principles of solving a problem: sama, dhana, bheda, danda. He diplomatically offers a sacrifice whereby he will handover his newborns to Kamsa.

Devaki delivers the eighth child, Mahavishnu, when Rohini star was ascendant, and stars shone clear in the sky and the couple is blessed with His sight: Lotus-eyed, four-armed, sporting the conch, mace and other weapons; with the luminous Srivatsa mark on the chest and the Kaustubha on his neck; wearing a yellow silk cloth, bedecked with splendorous ornaments. Vasudeva, realising the child was none other than the Supreme Being, prostrated before Him while Devaki praised Him.

Warship

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mumbai will arrive at the port of Colombo on Monday for a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission in Colombo has said. INS Mumbai, the Indian Navy’s frontline warship, will be received ceremonially by the Sri Lankan Navy, the High Commission said in a press release on Saturday. “This is INS Mumbai’s first visit to Sri Lanka and will be the eighth port call by Indian Ships this year,” it said. The ship will bring essential spares for the Sri Lankan Airforce-operated Dornier maritime patrol aircraft, the pilots and flight navigators of which are being trained by the Indian Navy. Apart from this, the Indian Navy also supports the aircraft's maintenance with a technical team and spares. PTI

ONGC opens well in KG field to raise oil production

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation on Sunday said it has opened another well on its flagship deep-sea project in Krishna Godavari basin in Bay of Bengal, which will help augment production of crude oil and natural gas. In January, ONGC started producing oil, which is converted into fuels such as petrol and diesel in refineries, from the KG-DWN-98/2 or KG-D5 block. “On August 24, 2024, ONGC marked a significant milestone by starting production from its fifth oil well in the Block KG-DWN-98/2 Cluster-2 asset,” the firm said in a stock exchange filing on Sunday. It did not state how much the new well was producing. With this, ONGC also successfully commissioned its gas export line from the offshore-to-onshore terminal. PTI

Regional

- Omar asks PDP not to field nominees, thanks Shah for ‘noticing’ NC poll manifesto

- DMK’s allies say govt. must refrain from holding or promoting religious events

- Murugan conference is also about Tamil culture: Udhayanidhi

- Debts have increased under BJP regime, says Palaniswami

- Senior BJP leaders booked after scuffle with police in Ranchi

- Dip in patients in State-run hospitals in West Bengal as resident doctors continue strike

- Kerala Governor seeks Calicut varsity V-C’s explanation over ‘faulty’ hiring

- BJP offering ₹100 cr. to our MLAs to switch sides: Cong.

- AAP names 3 candidates for Maharashtra Assembly poll

- Murder of youth triggers tension in Odisha town

- Kerala to hold post-disaster needs assessment in Wayanad

- Telangana in favour of holistic resolution of disputes on power dues with Andhra Pradesh

- ‘MeToo’ moment in Malayalam film industry puts LDF govt. on back foot

- Central team visits Tirupati to assess feasibility of multimodal bus station

- Reimagining the tapestry of life in countryside through art in Auroville

- NGT overturns memo from TNPCB offering leniency to brick kilns

- BJP MP questions land allotment to Kharge family’s trust

- Heavy rain leads to flooding in Gujarat

- Two held for ₹175 crore online scam in Hyderabad

- When justice is served to the anonymous

- The rise and rise of red sanders mafia

Omar asks PDP not to field nominees, thanks Shah for ‘noticing’ NC poll manifesto

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

For J&K’s betterment don’t put up candidates, NC vice-president tells Mehbooba ; PDP to go solo, says party chief, urges Centre to withdraw ban on JeI; M.P. CM attacks Cong. over alliance with NC

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah (centre) claimed that the PDP has put the NC’s agenda in its manifesto. file photoIMRAN NISSAR

National Conference (NC) vice-president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to field candidates against the NC-Congress nominees “for the betterment of Jammu and Kashmir”, as their agenda is the same. He also accused the Mehbooba Mufti-led party of copying the NC’s manifesto.

The NC leader’s comments come a day after Ms. Mufti ruled out the possibility of allying with the BJP and threw her weight behind INDIA bloc allies — the Congress and the NC, saying, “Power and seats don’t matter to the PDP. Our party will support the NC-Congress alliance if they accept our agenda.”

Mr. Abdullah also said that he was thankful to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for noticing his party’s election manifesto.

Mr. Shah said on Friday that Congress had “exposed its ulterior motives by allying with the Abdullah family’s National Conference” and accused the grand old party of repeatedly risking the country’s unity and security in its “greed for power”.

The 90-member Assembly of the Union Territory will vote in three phases — on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The results will be announced on October 4.

“They (PDP) said if the NC-Congress alliance accepts their agenda, they will not put up candidates. They have put all our agenda in their manifesto. Now, they shouldn’t field candidates,” the NC leader said.

Talking to reporters in Srinagar, Ms. Mufti said her party will contest the election alone and that the PDP had announced candidates for nearly all the constituencies.

The PDP chief also urged the Centre to lift the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) so that members of the organisation could contest the election. She also claimed that people in north Kashmir had voted for the “plebiscite sentiment” in the Lok Sabha poll by electing incarcerated Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid, who has advocated for plebiscite “on both sides of the Line of Control”.

‘India-Pakistan talks’

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday asked the Congress if it wanted to bring back the era of unrest by advocating talks with Pakistan.

In its manifesto, the NC has pledged to push for an India-Pakistan dialogue on Kashmir and restoration of J&K’s Statehood, among other promises.

DMK’s allies say govt. must refrain from holding or promoting religious events

Udhav Naig

Chennai

The decision of the State govt. to hold the Murugan Conference has not gone down well with some of the DMK’s allies.G. KarthikeyanKARTHIKEYAN G

The Tamil Nadu government’s two-day Muthamizh Murugan International Conference in Palani has not gone down well with some of the ruling DMK’s allies, who have always advocated that governments stay away from promoting overt religious events.

CPI(M) State secretary K. Balakrishnan said the DMK, which swore by secularism, should not have organised a religious event. The government is meant to be secular, and should stay away from such events, Mr. Balakrishnan told The Hindu. “We are not against worshipping of any gods. But, the government should not directly organise such events. Though the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department can organise such events, other Ministers of the State [barring the HR&CE Minister] should not participate in such events as it would only dilute secularism. This is why we opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya,” he said.

‘Under Hinduism’s fold’

VCK general secretary D. Ravikumar said the event does not strengthen the “secular Tamil” identity, since Lord Murugan and other so-called Tamil deities have already been appropriated within the Hinduism fold.

Religious global conferences would only promote communalism in society, despite the best intentions of the State government to inculcate secular Tamil identity in everyone, he said, adding: “It may be the case that he is a part of the pantheon of Tamil gods but today, Lord Murugan is not a symbol of Tamil secularism. He has a pan-Indian religious identity. He has been ‘sanskritised’, and is now a part of the Saivite tradition. Sangam literature says Murugan has been offered meat but it is not possible to offer meat to Lord Murugan in temples. The deity has been absorbed into the Hindu religion.”

He further said that the event may have been organised by ensuring the presence of non-Brahmin priests and heads of mutts that have evolved, without adhering to Brahmin traditions. “However, that does not matter if you look at the larger picture. It were these non-Brahmin mutt heads who were earlier taking the Sengol to New Delhi. They have already become a part of the Hindu fold,” he contended.

Murugan conference is also about Tamil culture, says Udhayanidhi Stalin

The Hindu Bureau

DINDIGUL

Livening up: Artistes performing at the Muthamizh Murugan International Conference on Sunday.G. KarthikeyanKARTHIKEYAN G

The Muthamizh Murugan International Conference organised by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department in Palani is not only a spiritual conference, but also a conference on Tamil culture, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin said on Sunday.

Virtually addressing the concluding day of the event, he said the conference was not held all of a sudden. The decision was made only after development works were carried out at various temples across the State. The Dravidian Model of Governance followed the principle of ‘everything for everyone’ and is not against any belief or faith, he pointed out.

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R. Sakkarapani said the main objective of the conference was to spread the teachings and the principles of Lord Murugan to the world, and unite the devotees of Lord Murugan who had arrived in large numbers from many parts of the world to the conference. Over one lakh people were present in the conference.

Justice R. Suresh Kumar of the Madras High Court spoke about the literary references to Lord Murugan, the Tamil God. Heads of various Adheenams spoke. Minister for HR&CE P.K. Sekar Babu thanked the heads of Adheenams, scholars and artistes, among others, who were present.

The Minister, along with Justice P. Velmurugan of the Madras High Court, felicitated them. Justice B. Pugalendhi of the Madras High Court; Secretary of the Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department, B. Chandra Mohan; Dindigul Collector M.N. Poongodi; Dindigul MP R. Sachithanandam; MLA I.P. Senthil Kumar; and foreign dignitaries were present at the event, held at the Arulmigu Palaniandavar College of Arts and Culture.

Many resolutions were adopted at the event — including for renovation of 143 Murugan temples at a cost of ₹50 crore; to install a new Vel in Palani to commemorate the conference; and to set up a Muthamizh Murugan Research Centre, and a Tamil Siddha Research Centre in Palani.

Seminars, photo exhibitions and 3-D exhibitions were organised. The participants were given 200 grams of panchamirtham, kumkum, vibhuthi, and laminated Lord Murugan photos. The entry was free.

Debts have increased under BJP regime, says Palaniswami

The Hindu Bureau

Salem

Edappadi K. PalaniswamiLAKSHMI NARAYANAN E

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday said the country’s debts increased under the BJP rule, and that the national party’s State president K. Annamalai had done nothing for Tamil Nadu.

At a meeting of the AIADMK’s lawyer-wing functionaries in Omalur, he told reporters that when the BJP came to power in 2014, the country’s debt was ₹55 lakh crore. However, it has increased to ₹168 lakh crore now. “What schemes did the Union government bring in for the debt to have increased to this extent?”

Best governance

Responding to Mr. Annamalai’s charge that the AIADMK government was “corrupt”, he asked why then did the BJP align with his party, and sought its support to pass Bills in Parliament.

“The AIADMK delivered the best governance despite facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In one year, it established 11 medical colleges in the State. Many departments got national awards during the AIADMK regime...,” he pointed out.

Mr. Palaniswami also hit out at the DMK for not inviting Congress leaders for the release of the ₹100 commemorative coin to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The DMK released the coin through Union Minister Rajnath Singh to shield itself from corruption charges, he claimed.

To a query about actor Vijay’s party praising former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and C.N. Annadurai, Mr. Palaniswami said he was happy that other parties acknowledged the AIADMK leader.

“That is why no one can destroy the AIADMK. A decision on an alliance with Mr. Vijay’s party will be taken during the [2026] election,” he said.

Senior BJP leaders booked after scuffle with police in Ranchi

Amit Bhelari

Patna

The Ranchi police have booked top BJP leaders, including Jharkhand party president Babulal Marandi and Union Minister Sanjay Seth, for alleged provocative speeches during the ‘Yuva Akrosh’ march by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

As many as 12,051 people were booked — 51 by name and 12,000 as unknown — in the FIR lodged on Saturday evening at the Lalpur police station. The action came after a scuffle broke out between the police and BJP workers at Morabadi Ground on Friday, when a dozen people on either side were injured.

‘Violated order’

All the top BJP leaders present in the rally have been named as accused. In the FIR, it was alleged that BJP workers attacked the police as part of a conspiracy and tried to march to the CM’s house, violating the prohibitory order.

“The FIR has been lodged at the Lalpur police station for giving provocative speeches, attacking the police and obstructing government officials in discharging duty. Investigation would be carried out and appropriate action will be taken as per the law,“ Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Sinha told The Hindu.

‘Stones pelted’

The case has been filed on the complaint of Executive Magistrate Sanjay Kumar. It was alleged that the BJP leaders asked workers to remove the barricades put up by the police and even pelted stones on the police, resulting in injury to dozens of personnel.

Party leaders included in the FIR also included Leader of the Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri; parliamentarians V.D. Ram, Dhulu Mahato, Aditya Sahu, Deepak Prakash, Pradeep Verma, Vidyut Varan Mahato, and Manish Jaiswal; and legislators Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Neelkanth Singh Munda, and Ramchandra Chandravanshi.

Dip in patients in State-run hospitals in West Bengal as resident doctors continue strike

Moyurie Som, Shrabana Chatterjee

Kolkata

As resident doctors continue their strike over the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, out-patient departments (OPDs) and in-patient departments (IPDs) in State-run health facilities are witnessing a significant decline in footfall.

Most Fridays, patients throng the OPD ticket counters of Medical College, Kolkata. However, there was hardly any clamouring for tickets on August 23. Patients were sparse and services remained affected.

State-run health facilities see about two lakh patients in OPDs on a normal day, according to State Health Secretary N.S. Nigam

People who can afford private nursing homes or do not have emergency needs have stopped visiting government facilities. “In the first week after the R.G. Kar incident, footfall reduced severely. Our hospital used to get 2,000-2,500 patients in the OPD daily. The number dipped to 700-900 within a day or two,” Pranab Kumar Biswas, Head of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at MC(K), said.

Dr. Biswas said that although the footfall in his department itself is down by 50%, they have not stopped emergency or OPD services. “On regular days, we get 400-450 patients. But on August 23, it was 152.” He added that it is hard for senior doctors like him to put in 12-hour night shifts. It takes a toll on their health, but they are ready to pull through as they have faith in the movement, he said.

Appealing to resident doctors to withdraw their strike, Mr. Nigam said the health services in the State are “severely affected”.

Several patients in Kolkata’s suburbs said they have resorted to using the Swasthya Sathi cards (a government scheme for cashless hospitalisation benefits) while seeking treatment in private hospitals.

Kerala Governor seeks Calicut varsity V-C’s explanation over ‘faulty’ hiring

The Hindu Bureau

Kozhikode

Kerala Governor and Chancellor Arif Mohammed Khan has sought an explanation from P. Raveendran, Vice-Chancellor, University of Calicut, over a complaint seeking recovery of money from officials for the reported losses incurred to the institution due to “faulty recruitment” of faculty members between 2019 and 2022.

The complaint was filed by Joshin Joseph, one of the applicants, and a person with disability.

‘Quota norms flouted’

The university had appointed 56 assistant professors, 16 associate professors, and 13 professors as per the employment notification issued in 2019. However, it was later alleged that reservation norms were flouted.

After another applicant legally challenged the recruitment process, both the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court found merit in the allegation.

It was pointed out that reservation for persons with disabilities was not implemented properly and that 24 assistant professors, four associate professors, and five professors were appointed in violation of norms.

His complaint highlighted a High Court order that sought to recover money from the authorities if they were found to have incurred financial losses to the institution.

BJP offering ₹100 cr. to our MLAs to switch sides: Cong.

As the Congress government tries to stave off the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular)’s charge of irregularities in the allotment of sites by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, claims of the return of ‘Operation Lotus’ by the BJP to destabilise the government emerged on Sunday. While the Congress legislator from Mandya Ravikumar Gowda claimed that the party’s legislators are being offered ₹100 crore by the BJP to switch sides, Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil also claimed that efforts are being made to woo Congress legislators.

AAP names 3 candidates for Maharashtra Assembly poll

Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) State organisation secretary Sangram Ghadage Patil on Sunday announced three candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly poll. Mr. Ghadage Patil named Satish Chakore, Ashok Yeda Patil, and Ashwin Navale as party candidates for Parbhani, Beed, and Latur constituency, respectively, in the Marathwada region. AAP had been a part of the Opposition INDIA alliance for the Lok Sabha election. However, the party has now decided to go solo for Maharshatra Assembly election.

Murder of youth triggers tension in Odisha town

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR

Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were imposed in Khurda town following the murder of a youth on Sunday.

Odisha Police beefed up security in Khurdha, apprehending that tension over the killing could take the shape of communal violence.

Kerala to hold post-disaster needs assessment in Wayanad

Dhinesh Kallungal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Devastating impact: According to the State government, the landslides on July 30 left 231 people dead. AFPHEMANTH BYATROY

The Kerala government is all set to begin a post-disaster needs assessment in the landslides-affected areas in the Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad from Monday.

The objective is to assess the damage and define a strategy for recovery and reconstruction, including an estimation of financial costs across the affected sectors.

For receiving the Central fund meant for recovery and reconstruction of the affected region, such an exercise is mandatory. The State will frame a detailed report after a week-long assessment and submit it to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which, in turn, will forward it to the Union Home Ministry. The Home Ministry normally takes a call on providing assistance to the affected States through the recovery and reconstruction window of the NDMA, said Sekhar Kuriakose, Member-Secretary, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).

Report to be submitted

The PDNA team constituted for each sector will estimate the overall impact of the disaster on the lives, livelihoods, and property of the affected communities and assess the loss and damage under the social, productive, health, infrastructure, tourism, livelihoods, forest and environment, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) sectors, integrating gender and tribal inclusion. The team will conduct a comprehensive assessment after a six-day field visit and submit a report to the Centre.

The total landslides-affected area is estimated to be 86,000 square metres over a stretch of eight kilometres. The PDNA exercise will be led by the State government, and supported by the NDMA, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), and other agencies. The report will present sector-wise damage. Cost estimates of all the damage will be included in the report.

The Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, and the State Relief Commissioner will oversee the process, while member secretary, KSDMA, will supervise the State-level officers.

Body parts recovered

Six body parts were recovered during a comprehensive search operation at the Anadikkappu and Soochippara waterfalls areas on Sunday, renewing hopes of bringing closure to the families of those missing in the landslides in Wayanad on July 30.

The search was intensified on Sunday following an emotional appeal by survivors at a meeting convened by the Chief Secretary recently. Two teams, each of 14 members from the National Disaster Response Force, Special Operations Group, Fire and Rescue Services, Forest Department and voluntary organisations, scoured the areas from 6 a.m.

Till now, 119 people remain missing, while 231 have been confirmed dead, according to the district administration.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called for an online all-party meeting at 4.30 p.m. on August 29 to discuss a comprehensive rehabilitation project for the survivors.

(With inputs from Wayanad)

Telangana in favour of holistic resolution of disputes on power dues with Andhra Pradesh

M. Rajeev

HYDERABAD

Telangana Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has urged the Centre to facilitate settlement of all power-related disputes. file photoKUMAR SS

The Telangana government is in favour of a holistic resolution of disputes relating to power dues with the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for maintaining good inter-State relations and ensuring fair financial dealings in line with the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has requested the Union government to facilitate a comprehensive settlement of all power-related disputes, potentially through mediation as suggested by the High Court, rather than focusing solely on isolated issues. The request assumes significance as the dispute over power dues between the two Telugu States have been pending for more than a decade as the two States remain firm on their respective stance.

While Andhra Pradesh has been insisting that Telangana power utilities had dues of ₹6,756 crore to its power utilities, Telangana is firm that the former’s dues come to ₹24,132 crore.

The Telangana government explained that unilateral cancellation of power purchase agreements by Andhra Pradesh power distribution companies and cessation of power supply to Telangana by A.P. Genco had imposed a heavy burden on the State exchequer on account of power purchases and A.P. should reimburse the dues.

The Deputy Chief Minister reportedly requested the Centre to adopt a balanced approach that considers all claims and counterclaims by the two States to ensure that neither State is unduly disadvantaged. This comprehensive approach will strengthen federal cooperation and help avoid prolonged legal disputes, he explained to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.

Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka sought reimbursement of excess liability of ₹1,052.7 crore allocated to the Telangana Power Finance Corporation by A.P. contrary to the Reorganisation Act. “Telangana has paid ₹1,270 crore [principal and interest] under protest representing the excess liability,” he said, requesting the Finance Minister to ensure that A.P. Power Finance Corporation reimburse Telangana for the excess liability.

‘MeToo’ moment in Malayalam film industry puts LDF govt. on back foot

G. Anand

Thiruvananthapuram

CPI(M) says right-wing media and Opposition have launched a witch-hunt against government; it abandons its earlier stance that it will order a probe only if complaints are received and constituted a special team with senior women IPS officers

Pinarayi Vijayan SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

The first-person “disclosures” of alleged sexual misconduct by those at the apex of the Malayalam film industry appeared to have forced the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government into the firefighting mode.

On Sunday, arguably keeling over under pressure from the Opposition, civil society and from within the ruling front, the government abandoned its earlier stance, and constituted a special team led by women IPS officers to investigate the accusations of sexual abuse that surfaced on mainstream and social media.

The startling developments seemingly forced the government to confront the possibility that more discreditable and embarrassing facts, which could reveal fresh cognisable offences, shatter reputations, and dismantle myths surrounding icons of Malayalam cinema, might emerge in the public domain, further backfooting the administration.

For at least a week, the LDF government appeared unable to decide on what standard of evidence it should use to hold prominent personalities legally accountable for their alleged misdemeanours. However, Mollywood’s “MeToo” moment seemed to be a tipping point. The disclosures also rattled the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

So far, the revelations have cost two persons in significant leadership roles in the industry their posts and cast a ruling front legislator and a Minister under suspicion, putting the leaders in the cross hairs of Opposition parties.

Moreover, the Congress and the BJP have launched an agitation demanding Culture Minister Saji Cherian’s resignation.

CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan countered by stating that the right-wing media and the Opposition have launched a witch-hunt against the LDF government. He said the government’s critics should recognise that the K. Hema Committee was a watershed in the history of women’s rights in Kerala.

Central team visits Tirupati to assess feasibility of multimodal bus station

A.D. Rangarajan

TIRUPATI

Tirupati MP M. Gurumoorthy (centre) with members of a Central team at the APSRTC bus complex in Tirupati. Special Arrangement HANDOUT

After a brief hiatus, the multimodal bus station project for Tirupati was back in the limelight again, with a Central team visiting the temple city on Sunday to check for its feasibility and functional executability.

The arrival of theteam led by Prakash Gaur, Chief Executive Officer, National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), and Project Director Pooja Mishra followed the meeting Tirupati MP M. Gurumoorthy had with Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari, in New Delhi last week.

Tirupati witnesses a huge floating population, with footfall reaching up to one lakh on some days, mostly in the form of Tirumala-bound devotees and students studying in the scores of universities and national educational institutes such as the IIT-Tirupati and IISER.

The project is meant to come up with a comprehensive facility that brings multiple modes of transport to the reach of the commuters. The proposed infrastructure will be planned and executed in tune with the growing needs of the city in the future, with an aesthetic and traditional touch that resonates with the spiritual backdrop of Tirupati.

Dr. Gurumoorthy, who went around the bus station complex along with the team members, spoke to the media on the project. He said the multimodal bus station project had taken shape much earlier, but was held back for design changes suggested in the existing bus station building. The proposed facility would have a bus terminal, commercial complexes, a footbridge, a “sky walk” linking the bus and railway stations, dormitories, charging stations for electric buses,and so on, he said.

He sought the State government’s quick nod to the administrative sanctions for the project.

Reimagining the tapestry of life in countryside through art in Auroville

M. Dinesh Varma

PUDUCHERRY

The works reflect an evolution from a semi-realistic to a fully abstract style. Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

The Centre d’Art, Citadines, an art hub in Auroville, has kicked off a new season with an expo of works by the Tamil artist K. Sridar.

The solo show, “Emerging” will showcase some of his acrylic works that reimagine the tapestry of rural life.

Growing up in Thondi Reddypalayam, a village on the Puducherry-Villupuram border, the artist draws from the evocative imagery of the countryside. The exposure to orally perpetuated folklore from childhood also directs the recreations on canvas.

There is this abstraction, a poising at the intersection where the solid state ends and an amorphous space begins, that transforms a standard motif into something that is strikingly original and open to viewer interpretation.

Like the mathematical infinity concept, the art leads the viewer down a wormhole of seemingly endless speculative possibilities.

“I believe that all art originates in a state of reality... rather, our perception of it”, says Sridar.

There are a couple of paintings that best illustrate the artist’s work philosophy — one inspired by Tholpavakoothu (shadow puppetry) and another with rich colour tones that was shaped by his love for Chola-era temple murals.

Sridar is exhibiting about 25 of the works he worked on during the last few years at the Auroville solo. The works, predominantly acrylic-on-colour paper and plywood base, also reflect an evolution from a semi-realistic approach to a fully abstract style.

A few works are modelled on a paper pulp moulding technique that his mother was adept in, the artist says. Incidentally, his father was a traditional artist working with enamel for the Mariamman Koil in the village.

The exhibition is on till September 7.

NGT overturns memo from TNPCB offering leniency to brick kilns

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai

New brick kilns were required to be located at least 800 metres away.

The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has overturned a memo from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) that potentially offered leniency to brick kilns operating without proper authorisation.

A 2022 notification by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had established stringent siting criteria for brick kilns. These regulations required new brick kilns to be located at least 800 metres from residential areas and fruit orchards, and one kilometre away from other brick kilns to prevent clustering. The guidelines were part of broader efforts to mitigate environmental and health impacts associated with brick kiln operations.

On February 14, 2023, TNPCB issued a memo interpreting the new siting criteria as applicable solely to new brick kilns, excluding those that had been in operation prior to the notification.

This interpretation was challenged before the Bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, by resident M. Manickaraj, who argued that the memo gave an unfair advantage to existing brick kilns, including those operating illegally in Thadagam Valley, Coimbatore. The valley, already plagued by environmental degradation due to unregulated brick kiln activity, faced severe pollution and disruption to local ecosystems.

Further, the applicant said if there were any existing units operating without consent or any of the approvals required, they cannot be treated as existing units.

Critiquing TNPCB’s memo for potentially allowing illegal brick kilns to bypass necessary regulatory checks, the bench found that the memo’s interpretation contradicted the intent of the MoEF&CC’s guidelines, which aimed to enforce uniform standards across all brick kilns, regardless of their operational status.

The Bench stated that the interpretation of TNPCB that siting criteria applied only to new or proposed units and not to existing ones was incorrect and, if allowed, would enable illegal brick kilns to continue unchecked. It then ordered the TNPCB to issue directions to its officers in the State to follow the MoEF&CC notification in its intended manner.

BJP MP questions land allotment to Kharge family’s trust

The Hindu Bureau

BENGALURU

Lahar Singh Siroya

The BJP has now trained its guns on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and taken exception to the reported allotment of a site by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board to a trust owned by his family. In a social media post on Sunday, BJP Rajya Sabha member Lahar Singh Siroya referred to a report about Mr. Kharge’s family-run trust being allotted five acres of land under the SC quota in the Hitech Defence Aerospace Park near Bengaluru.

He wanted to know how Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil consented to this allotment in March. The matter has reached the Karnataka Governor’s office, he said.

Maintaining that Chief Minister may have to give up the sites allotted in Mysuru, he wondered if the Kharge family too would have to give up this land.

Heavy rain leads to flooding in Gujarat

The Hindu Bureau

Ahmedabad

Several people were shifted to safe places after torrential rain caused severe flooding in South Gujarat’s Valsad and Navsari districts over the weekend. The continuous downpour since Saturday led to rivers swelling, and dams overflowing in the region.

More than 600 persons were shifted to safety in Valsad district. On Sunday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel directed the administrations of affected districts to ensure that people were moved out from the vulnerable areas.

Two arrested in ₹175-crore online scam in Hyderabad

The Hindu Bureau

HYDERABAD

The Telangana Police in Hyderabad arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in a ₹175-crore online fraud.

Mohammed Shoeb Tauqeer, 34, and Mahmood Bin Ahmed Bawazir, 49, were arrested on Saturday.

“The data analysis team identified suspicious activity linked to six bank accounts in SBI at Shamsheergunj branch. Further probe revealed nearly 600 complaints linked to these accounts,” said the officials in a press release.

When justice is served to the anonymous

In the lanes around the Ajmer dargah in Rajasthan, women were kidnapped, raped, photographed, and then blackmailed in the early 1990s. Over three decades later, six men have been convicted and given life sentence. Ishita Mishra reports on the women who were shamed, the law that took its time, and the journalists who unearthed the case

1 of 5 The District and Sessions Court, Ajmer, in Rajasthan, where the trial of the kidnapping-rape-blackmail cases has been going on for over 30 years. Shashi Shekhar Kashyap SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

2 of 5 Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

3 of 5

4 of 5 Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

5 of 5 I was shocked at how rich, influential men were exploiting girls inside godowns, farmhouses, and even in their moving cars in busy markets. Delayed action from the police gave them time to destroy the evidence Santosh Gupta Former crime reporter, Danik Navajyoti

Trigger warning: the following article contains details of rape. Please avoid reading if the subject disturbs you.

In a dingy, narrow lane in Ajmer, known for the dargah of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the air reeks of the odour of poor drainage. In one of the matchbox houses, Sarita (name changed to protect privacy), 52, is cleaning the framed photos spread across the walls of her single-room home. All the pictures are of another time, of her dressed up, posing, a young woman in her 20s, many of her with her second husband. “I loved getting photographed,” she says. Photographs were a curse too.

Sarita is one of the survivors of the many kidnapping-rape-blackmail cases that jolted the city in 1992. Thirty-two years later, on August 20, 2024, a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court sentenced six people to life imprisonment out of the 18 accused.

In 1998, a sessions court in Ajmer had sentenced eight to life imprisonment. Four were acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court in 2001. The Supreme Court reduced the life imprisonment of the rest to 10 years in 2003.

Farooq Chishti, a religious and political leader with considerable power convicted in 2007, was declared mentally unfit to be in jail in 2013. One of the 18 men killed himself soon after he was released on bail. Another was convicted in smaller cases. Over the years, the court trial has seen 12 public prosecutors and 50 police personnel in charge. The men never confessed.

Political-religious nexus

On April 22, 1992, Ajmer woke up to the news that high-profile men, including the Khadims (priests) of the dargah, who were also associated with the Youth Congress, had been sexually assaulting girls and young women between 17 and 24 years, most of whom were from Savitri School and Sophia College. Farooq Chishti was the Youth Congress president, while Nafees Chishti (just convicted) the vice president, and Anwar Chishti the joint secretary.

The story by crime reporter Santosh Gupta, in the Hindi daily Danik Navajyoti, claimed that the naked pictures of the girls would be used to blackmail them into silence. The cycle of abuse continued for years. Mahesh Ludhani, who owned the ironically named Bharosa colour lab; Harish Tolani, who managed the lab, among others, were acquitted. Puttan Allahabadi, an autorickshaw driver; and Ishrat Ali, a flower seller outside the dargah, among others, were convicted and released after 10 years.

Gupta, who is now 60 and a senior manager in a hospital’s public relations department, says “the impact of the news report was surprising” because no one was immediately caught. “I was shocked at how rich, influential men were exploiting girls inside godowns, farmhouses, and even in their moving cars in busy markets. Delayed action from the police gave them time to destroy the evidence,” he says.

After a month of investigation, Gupta landed on the naked pictures of the women, which also had some men from the group. On May 15 that year, his editor, Deenbandhu Chaudhary, agreed to publish the pictures in the newspaper, blurring the faces of the girls, but prominently showing the men. The article detailed how the Ajmer police was hushing up the matter by calling these consensual. It sparked anger among people, who came onto the roads to protest. They called for a three-day market bandh (closure) and demanded the arrest of the men.

“One of those pictures was mine,” says Sarita. She was 20 then. It took 32 years for the men to be convicted. “I was raped several times by them and other men who must have seen my pictures,” she says. Naked pictures of the women were circulated in the city from the photo printing shop.

“I got pregnant and delivered a stillborn baby. My first marriage was a hushed up affair. It broke within hours when I told my husband that men had raped me,” says Sarita. She was married again, the third wife to a man who abandoned her after a decade because he did not want to be with someone who had been raped. She has a son, who stayed with her in-laws after she was forced to leave home; and brothers, who also abandoned her. Her home has no furniture, and she lives to clean the photos on the wall.

Plots and subplots

The public outrage was fuelled by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and supported by the then-budding Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members. The Rajasthan Chief Minister at the time, BJP’s Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, assigned the case to the Crime Investigation Department-Crime Branch (CID-CB) on May 31, 1992. The Centre had a Congress government. It was the year of communal tension following BJP leader L.K. Advani’s rath yatra that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

“The agency took months to find the victims. Most had left town; a few had killed themselves after the case came into limelight. Many stayed away from the investigation, citing social stigma from a court trial,” says now-retired police officer Hari Prasad Sharma who was posted as the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Ajmer in 1992 and had filed the first police complaint in this matter on May 30. Sharma says there was no delayed action. He brags that for the first time in Rajasthan, the National Security Act, 1980 was slapped on such a large number of people in a single case.

The CID-CB convinced over a dozen survivors to give their testimony then, but over the decades all, except three, turned hostile. The first of the six chargesheets was filed in August 1992; the trial began in September. “The statements of around 150 witnesses were recorded in the case, which had over 100 victims as the chain was long and had continued for years,” says P.K. Srivastava, another local reporter who worked with the daily, Lehron Ki Barkha. Now 62, Srivastava had filed stories for 168 days straight on the rapes. He says this led to the killing of his editor, Madan Singh, the following year. “Madan was a history-sheeter and had started extorting money from affluent families. He would threaten to name their daughters in the newspaper,” says a senior police officer, who was posted in Ajmer in 1992. The police booked three people for Madan’s murder. They were later acquitted.

Surya and Dharma, Madan’s sons, who were eight and 10 in 1992, waited for decades to avenge their father’s murder. Dharma attempted to hurt his father’s alleged killers in 2012 and was caught by the police; Surya killed one of the three in 2023.

Courtroom harassment

In court, it came to light that a boy had also been exploited. “Nafees was my friend and I went for a party to his farmhouse, where they made me drink. After I dozed off, they clicked obscene pictures of me. I was asked to bring my girlfriend to them, who was raped,” the boy had testified in court. Later, his girlfriend too was forced to bring her friends to the accused.

When the trial began, the lawyers of the accused would ask the women uncomfortable questions in court in the presence of hundreds of men. Many men came for voyeuristic reasons, say those present during the sessions.

Virendra Singh Rathore, the current public prosecutor, says he was left numb on an afternoon in 2022 when one of the victims screamed in anger. “She shouted, saying that she had become a grandmother and came to court to testify each time by lying to her family. She just wanted to be left alone. Her voice echoed in my ears for days,” he says. This is when he decided to place an application in court that none of the survivors be called again and that their previous testimonies be considered while deciding the case.

Rathore is afraid the victims may be called again to court when Almas Maharaj, the last man accused in the case, is brought back to India. He is allegedly living in America and had a red corner notice issued against him in 2005 that allows Interpol to look out for him.

Politics, the police, and the people

Gupta feels that the case got buried due to the politics around it. “Everyone used this case for their political benefit then and now too,” he says, adding that a city known for its religious significance was tarnished by the men.

“Such was the impact of this case that people started fearing marrying women from Ajmer,” says Sameeksha Singh, 54, a private bank employee, who added that the parents of girls had imposed restrictions on them.

Panchjanya, the Hindi mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), cited the involvement of leaders of various political parties, along with bureaucrats and police personnel. The Dargah Deewan (spiritual head) at the Ajmer dargah at loggerheads with the Khadims, used this as an opportunity to malign the community that claims to have arrived in India with the Sufi saint.

With the recent conviction, the VHP, which aims to “organise” and “protect” Hindu society, issued a statement seeking capital punishment. BJP national spokesperson Prem Shukla said instead of getting them punished, the previous Congress governments had ensured that the Muslim perpetrators were given a clean chit.

Rajasthan Congress general secretary Swarnim Chaturvedi refuted the BJP’s claim, saying that though some of the convicts were earlier members of the party, but there was no question of any Congress leader protecting them. He added that the BJP had “no moral right” to accuse the Congress this way when its own leaders, including former MPs and MLAs, are facing trials in rape cases in different courts in India.

‘Remember survivors’ ordeal’

Rathore talks about the plight of public prosecutors working in India’s small cities. The plaster from the walls of his government office is peeling, and he says the last laptop he was issued by the government was 12 years ago; it stopped working five years ago. There is no library for reference books. “I brought my own cooler from home because it’s unbearable to sit here,” he says.

He is frustrated at the way court proceedings take place, in ways that often acquit the men because of the line of questioning. “They are let off even if a woman is not able to recall the size of the photo frame in the room where she was raped.”

Since the latest conviction, Rathore has become a bit of a local hero. He has been getting congratulatory messages and receiving garlands from members of the bar and civil organisations. He wants people to take a moment to remember what the survivors went through. “Bharat ke itihas mein shayad ye pehla case hoga jahan 100 se zyada auraton ke balatkar aur blackmail ki baat kahi jati hai, aur inmse se ek bhi aurat nyay mangne saamne nahi aayi (This is probably the first case in India where it is alleged that over 100 women were raped and blackmailed, but not one of them ever came forward to seek justice),” says Rathore.

The rise and rise of red sanders mafia

Seshachalam Hills, one of India’s richest biospheres, has become the hot spot of red sanders smuggling and allied crimes costing many police, forest officials and mafia members their lives apart from threatening the survival of the endangered tree species. Over the years, despite changes in the governments and people in power, the smuggling of the precious wood continues unabated, indicating that the problem is of a socio-economic-political nature, writes K. Umashhanker

1 of 2 Blood wood of Andhra: A batch of red sanders logs freshly cut and dressed from Seshachalam hills. The wood contains a compound called Santalin which gives it the rich red colour. The Seshachalam Hills of the Eastern Ghats is one of the few places on earth where the trees grow.

2 of 2 Andhra Pradesh Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force detect the strewn logs at a forest glade in Seshachalam Hills in Rajampeta division of Annamayya district.

Seshachalam Hills, one of India’s richest biospheres which form the tip of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh is considered a floristic hotspot for it houses many endemic and rare species including five gecko species, 12 species of lizards and 22 species of snakes.

However, it is red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus), the tall trees which give one of the world’s finest and rarest woods, growing in these hills makes Seshachalam a hotspot of crime and a hub of mafia.

“It was in 1974 when my firstborn saw the light.Transporting a truckload of red sanders logs from Piler of the Annamayya district to the erstwhile Madras used to cost ₹270 a round trip, which included labour force and bribes at the local level and the inter-State border check posts,” recalls a 76-year-old carpenter from a remote village of Yerravaripalem mandal of Tirupati district in Andhra Pradesh.

“For a ton of logs, the price would be around ₹2,000. For each trip, I used to save around ₹1,000 plus at the rate of four trips a month. Like me, there were about a dozen people all over the Seshachalam hills,” he adds.

Upto ₹2 crore a tonne

Today, the statistics of the red sanderslogs are sold at anywhere between ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore per tonne, based on the quality, in the international market. Spread over 5,000 square kilometres across Kadapa, Annamayya, Tirupati and Chittoor districts, besides covering substantial forest cover in Nellore district in the State, the Seshachalam Hills is the first biosphere reserve in Andhra Pradesh identified under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere programme in 2010.

The rich growth of red sanders here, however, began only after 1983 when the Forest Department, following the orders of then Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, N.T. Rama Rao took up a massive afforestation programme in the region. Red sanders seeds were sprayed over the Rayalaseema region through helicopters. However, the seed germination at Seshachalam was the best owing to the hot and dry conditions which made it ideal climate for the trees to thrive.

From the 1980s onwards, the red sanders started attracting the international market, with major players coming from China.

A retired forest ranger recalled the different phases of red sander smuggling. “What began as a cottage industry is now a multi-crore global business. A few individuals used to sell the red sanders logs in small quantum in erstwhile Madras, intended for making toys and transportation to China and Southeast Asian countries. From the 1990s onwards, the Chinese wanted wanted huge quantities of the wood. Some middlemen in the timber industry in Tamil Nadu caught the pulse of the demand,” he said.

When there was a massive manhunt for forest brigand Veerappan in the thick forests of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala between 1990-2000, a large number of woodcutters who worked under him were left with no alternative source of livelihood. Now, these ‘meistries’ (organisers) from the north-western districts of Tamil Nadu lured the jobless youth to raid the Seshachalam ranges. The precious trees, which were copiously present, were ruthlessly cut down and transported to Madras and Tuticorin ports. Those were the days when the officials, both from the Central and State governments, were not much aware of the red sanders.

During the time of Veerappan, it was only the white sandalwood that mattered. Between 2004 and 2014, the number of trespassers into the Seshachalam ranges from Tamil Nadu used to be a few hundred per day. The forest and police officials and also the media used to call the trespassers “woodcutters and coolies.”

Skilled Malai men from Tamil Nadu

Later, the trespassers were promoted to the ranks of “red sanders smugglers.”Each woodcutter used to get ₹5,000 per log weighing around 50 kg. Most of these debt-ridden and impoverished men belonged to the Malai hill tribes inhabiting the forest regions of Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Dharmapuri and Villupuram districts of Tamil Nadu. They are illiterate and begin to work for red sanders smugglers from the age of 20.

The Malai men are preferred by the smugglers for the job as they are adapted to the Seshachalam hills and can jump and sprint fast in case of a police raid. The Task Force police have many times said that they were awestruck at the agility of these men, and that capturing them was not an easy task.

The Malai men are also resilient and can sustain for days with little food and liquor, making them the ideal smugglers of precious wood.

The so-called organisers started deploying the maximum number of workforce from Tamil Nadu districts, transporting them in specially arranged buses and also sending them in passenger trains.

They would alight at Panapakam, Mungilipattu, and Chandragiri railway stations in Tirupati district and clandestinely enter the forest.Previously, they used to carry axes and saw blades with them, but later they were readily supplied with the tools on their arrival.

With time, the workforce enjoyed extra benefits such as liquor bottles and provisions to cook inside the forests during their long stays, ranging from two to three weeks.“Their modus operandi was to cut down as many trees as possible, dress the logs and carry them to the road points. Vehicles from autos to trucks and lorries chugged the forest paths to collect the material and transport it to Chennai. With a sudden spurt in the activity, warehouses had come up in Hoskote and Katiganahalli areas of Bengaluru rural district,” says another forest official in Sri Venkateswara National Park range.

Interestingly, during all the turbulent years of red sanders smuggling from the Seshachalam ranges, three Ministers who held the portfolio of the Forests were from the undivided Chittoor district—Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu from Puttur, Bojjala Golapalakrishna Reddy from Srikalahasti and Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy from Piler and later shifting to Punganur.

From 1995, the Chief Ministers of the undivided Andhra Pradesh were also from the red sanders-rich districts. Nara Chandrababu Naidu from Chandragiri (his native place in Tirupati district), Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy from Kadapa district, Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy from Piler in Annamayya district and Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy from Kadapa district.

Blood shed over red wood

On December 15, 2013, two forest officials of Tirupati Wildlife Circle—Deputy Range Officer Sridhar and Assistant Beat Officer David Kumar—were surrounded by a mob of 200 woodcutters deep inside the Seshachalam forests close to Tumburu Theertham waterbody on the Chittoor Kadapa border. The duo was brutally done to death with stones and axes, while another beat officer escaped with critical injuries.

Following this, the Andhra Pradesh government (after bifurcation) formed the AP Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (APRSASTF) to give protection to forest officials while on patrol in the forests. It was this Task Force, which played a crucial role in nabbing Kollam Gangi Reddy, who faced allegations of red sanders smuggling and was one of the accused in the Alipiri bomb blast case of 2003 wherein Nara Chandrababu Naidu had a narrow escape. The then Task Force chief, M. Kantha Rao, a senior IPS officer who worked as the DIG and IG of the Task Force (2014-2019), had detected that Gangi Reddy had two passports.

Kantha Rao said that during his tenure, hundreds of red sanders smuggling operatives were nabbed and remanded. “About half a dozen special teams were formed to conduct patrolling not only inTirupati but all over the Rayalaseema districts, Nellore and Prakasam. In 2015, the Task Force made a stupendous breakthrough when a team rushed to Assam and prevented a 10-tonne consignment of red sanders logs from entering China. The goods were brought back to Tirupati. We had also made the information about red sanders public as to how many trees were cut down over years and how many trees were leftthe forests,” he says.

On April 7, 2015, as many as 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu, originally migrants from Wayanad in Kerala, were reportedly gunned down by the Task Force at Sachhinodi Banda (loosely translates to a boulder that belonged to the dead) point located deep inside the inhospitable terrain of Seshachalam hills near Tirupati. The human rights groups then alleged that the woodcutters, all belonging to the Dalit community, were brutally shot at from point-blank range and their bodies were strewn all over the forest location. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also registered a case on this.

Ever since this “carnage” of woodcutters, there has not occurred even a single casualty in the entire red sanders-rich region in the last nine years. After a lull of a few months, the woodcutters resumed invading the forest ranges.

“During these nine years, hundreds of trespassers were arrested and released on bail. Cutting red sanders has only turned into a picnic, coupled with economic benefit. The forest and police officials to date are afraid of even causing a minor injury to a woodcutter. Chases have almost disappeared. The trespassers are not afraid of arrests. After all, they know they would be convicted at the most for six months to one year if charges get proved against them - which is very difficult to establish,” said a police officer, who played a crucial role in undertaking a dozen inter-State operations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and close to Bhutan border, and seizure of red sanders logs worth about ₹1,000 crore between 2014-2017.

There are critical observations that after the Jagan Mohan Reddy government came to power in 2019, the subject of red sanders smuggling slipped into oblivion. Allegations remained rife that the Task Force could not undertake a single inter-State operation during the period.

“Unlike the period before the COVID-19 pandemic where 90% of the workforce was from Tamil Nadu districts, in recent years the locals of various villages of Rayalaseema districts have turned into smuggling operatives. Political leaders from top to bottom levels are facing serious allegations of their involvement in the red sanders smuggling. The cooperation and coordination between the forest and police departments have also been missed in the last decade. Due to the absence of any scientific mode of surveillance at the check posts, we don’t know what is happening there. In the last five years, there was not a single meeting of the inter-State police and forest officials to tackle the red sanders issue,” observed a retired police officer in Tirupati.

Pushpaimpact

When Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa -The Rise was released in December 2021, after the Covid pandemic, it was a mad rush at the theatres. The hero’s striking dialogue—Thaggedheh Le (Will not bend)—caught the attention of the youth all over India and mesmerized even the big personalities of Bollywood.

“Pushpa director Sukumar and his team visited our office (in Tirupati) during the planning of the film. We took them to various locations in the Seshachalam and shared information about the modules and modus operandi of the smugglers, the aspects of interrogation and investigation. The movie could create a sea of awareness about the bad element in red sanders smuggling,” said former Task Force chief Kantha Rao.

Ironically, a majority of the officials in the enforcement agencies observed that Pushpa had directly contributed to the entry of more youth into the contraband forest trade. Several youths involved in the red sanders errands started growing their beardleaving their hair unkempt and repeating the verbal and physical mannerisms of the hero, which included the hero’s walking style which went viral on social media.

In this context, the recent observation of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan (who also holds the portfolio of Forests) that “Around 40 years ago, a hero was someone who safeguards the forest. And now, the hero is someone who cuts away the forest and is a smuggler,” has raised many an eyebrow.

Serving as a sum up, a forest ranger in Annamayya district, considered a huge fan of Pawan Kalyan, says: “Red sanders is a socio-economic-political subject. Unless the government comes up with a scientific formula to counter the environmental damage, the police and forest officials are helpless. Just, we are waiting for Pusha-The Rule.” (Sequel to Pushpa- The Rise is expected to be released in December 2024).

Science

- Frequent mass wasting in Tibet a cause for worry in India

- BIG SHOT

- Sonoluminescence: a little light

Frequent mass wasting in Tibet a cause for worry in India

Rahul Karmakar

Guwahati

According to a new study, more than 700 million cubic metres of debris have been mobilised in the Sedongpu gully catchment since 2017; the combination of long-term warming and intense local shaking due to earthquakes has greatly enhanced landslide activity in the area

1 of 2 The Sedongpu Gully in Tibetan China, visible just to the left of the Yarlung Tsangpo river at the centre of this image taken on December 30, 2020. Google Earth Google Earth

2 of 2 The breaching of the blockages leads to catastrophic flash floods in the downstream areas such as the ones in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang and Assam’s Dhemaji district in 2000 Partha Jyoti Das Head of Water, Climate & Hazard Division, Aaranyak

A new study on the high frequency of mass wasting events in the Sedongpu Gully of the Tibetan Plateau since 2017 and the rapid warming of the area, which rarely experienced temperatures beyond 0º C before 2012, could be bad signs for India, specifically the country’s northeast.

A geological event, mass wasting is the gravity-influenced movement of rock and soil down a slope. A gully is a landform created by erosion from running water, mass movement or both.

The Sedongpu Gully, in the catchment of the Sedongpu glacier and its valley, is 11 km long and covers 66.8 sq. km. It drains into the Yarlung Zangbo, or the Tsangpo River, near where it takes a sharp turn — called the Great Bend — while flowing around Mt. Namcha Barwa (altitude 7,782 metres) and Mt. Gyala Peri (7,294 metres) to create a gorge 505 km long and 6,009 metres deep. This is one of the deepest gorges on the earth.

The Great Bend is close to Tibet’s border with Arunachal Pradesh, where the Tsangpo flows as the Siang river. In Assam further downstream, the Siang meets the Dibang and Lohit to form the Brahmaputra, which flows as the Jamuna in Bangladesh.

The study, authored by Weile Li and six others associated with China’s Chengdu University of Technology, was published on August 2 in the Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

According to their paper, more than 700 million cubic metres of debris have been mobilised in the Sedongpu gully catchment since 2017. The combination of long-term warming and intense local shaking due to earthquakes has greatly enhanced landslide activity in the area. The impact on humans has been low because it is so remote.

However, environment scientists in Assam said the study underlining landslides was ominous for areas hundreds of kilometres downstream. The threat has been accentuated by big dams such as the 510-MW Zangmu on the Tsangpo and India’s planned projects on the Siang.

River choking and flash floods

“China plans to set up a 60-gigawatt project on the Tsangpo, which will [have] thrice the capacity of the Three Gorges project on the Yangtze, the world’s largest hydropower plant,” said Partha Jyoti Das, the head of the Water, Climate, and Hazard Division of Aaranyak, a Guwahati-based biodiversity research organisation. “This region is characterised by enormous geophysical instability and experienced the 8.6-magnitude Assam-Tibet or Medog earthquake in 1950, one of the biggest of the 20th century. The 6.4-magnitude Nyingchi earthquake hit the same region in November 2017.”

“The Sedongpu study has serious implications for the Tsangpo-Siang-Brahmaputra-Jamuna, especially in India and Bangladesh. The most direct consequence could be the addition of major amounts of sediments to the course of the river, already one of the most sediment-laden rivers of the world,” he said.

The Brahmaputra carries more than 800 tonnes of sediment at Pandu in Guwahati, becoming more than a billion tonnes at Bahadurabad in Bangladesh. Dr. Das said increasing sedimentation may make the river more intensely braided in the Assam plains, which could lead to more bank erosion.

“The sedimentation can elevate the river beds more, accentuating flood hazards. Further, the channels of the river in Assam and Bangladesh may get choked with sand and silt in the lean season making navigation difficult and affecting livelihoods related to fishing,” he said.

The Sedongpu study examined the patterns of landslides in the gully catchment using satellite data from December 1969 to June 2023. From 149 satellite images, they identified 19 large mass-wasting events or event groups they divided into three sub-patterns: ice-rock avalanche (IRA), ice-moraine avalanche (IMA), and glacier debris flow (GDF). A moraine is a mass of rocks and sediment deposited by a glacier.

The debris from the IRAs temporarily blocked the Tsangpo and tributary Yigong. “The breaching of the blockages leads to catastrophic flash floods in the downstream areas such as the ones in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang and Assam’s Dhemaji district in 2000. These floods were triggered by the outburst of a dam created on the Yigong by the glaciated debris and rock materials generated during a huge landslide,” Dr. Das said.

Lull before hyperactivity

The Sedongpu study noted that the earliest mass wasting event in the area occurred from 1974 to 1975 and satellite images thereafter indicated no catastrophic events until 1987. Two IMAs happened from 1998 to 2000 and the gully remained quiet again from 2001 to 2017.

“The gully entered a very active period [in] 2017 with a large IRA from October 20-27 temporarily blocking the Yarlung Tsangpo,” the paper said, underlining the Nyingchi earthquake — its epicentre was 8 km from the gully’s edge — that disrupted the stability of the rocks and glaciers.

Three successive GDFs followed from November to December 2017 and two catastrophic IRAs occurred “unexpectedly” in 2018 to completely block the Tsangpo and form another gully more than 300 metres deep. “After these events, the Sedongpu gully entered an intense erosion period… Overall, among the 19 events, 13 were concentrated after 2017, accounting for 68.4% of the total,” the paper said.

The geoscientists said the bedrock of the Sedongpu basin consists mostly of Proterozoic marble and the conditions indicate its land surface temperature ranges from -5º to -15º C, rarely exceeding 0º C before 2012. Data from the nearby weather stations at Bomi and Linzhi revealed that the annual temperature in this area increased at rates of 0.34º to 0.36º C during 1981-2018, which is higher than the global average. “It is high time we undertook similar studies to monitor the status and trends of geophysical events leading to landslides, rockfalls, and other erosional processes that could affect the geomorphic and hydrological regime of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries apart from attending to sediment management,” Dr. Das said.

Rim of fire: This picture taken on August 22 and released by Iceland’s State Police shows lava and smoke erupting from a new volcano near Grindavik on Reykjanes Peninsula. The volcano spewed hot lava into the air in the sixth eruption to hit the region since December 2023, authorities said, following a series of earthquakes. AFP-

Sonoluminescence: a little light

Arkatapa Basu

Long-exposure photograph of sonoluminescence. Each bright blue point is a bubble undergoing sonoluminescence. Brian Pollack (CC BY-SA 3.0) Brian Pollack (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The human eye is adept at picking out the smallest glimmer of light in shadowed spaces and the faintest star in the heavens (but light pollution has made this very hard).Mysterious flashes of light have always piqued our interest — and this is perhaps where sonoluminescence was born.

When two German engineers were studying sonar — the use of sound to navigate, like bats — in 1934, they stumbled upon a strange phenomenon: when a small bubble trapped in a liquid is hit by powerful sound waves, it seems to produce a flash of light.

The cause turned out to be straightforward, if also fascinating: the alternating high- and low-pressure phases of sound waves caused the bubble to expand and collapse rapidly. During the collapse, the bubble compressed so intensely that the temperature inside soared to several thousand kelvin.

The extreme temperature caused gases within the bubble to ionise and release light energy in about a trillionth of a second.

We do not know how exactly this light is produced — yet.

The world has more mysteries than we like to admit.

Sonoluminescence is not restricted to labs. Pistol shrimp (family Alpheidae) possess a specialised claw that it can snap shut with incredible speed. The result is a jet of water moving so fast that it creates a low-pressure bubble in the water. And when this bubble collapses, it generates a loud sound, intense heat, and, if you’re lucky (or unlucky?) to be nearby, a fleeting flash of light.

Edit

- Reality of reel life, exploitation as a structural problem

- New-age gateway devices, the latest health threat

- letters to the editor

- Middle path

- Catalyst for change

- Indians who migrate abroad double their incomes

- Investing in persons with disabilities

- The polity of J&K is at an inflection point

- When U.S. Generals were watched

- Alliance bank

- On West Bengal’s civic police volunteers

- What did the 2013 panel say on death penalty for rape?

- Tackling the frictions in cross-border payments: a call for innovative solutions

- A quiz on the U.S. Open, the final tennis Major of the year, that gets underway today

- Things between us have soured

Reality of reel life, exploitation as a structural problem

1 of 2 Kaleeswaram Raj a lawyer at the Supreme Court of India

2 of 2 Thulasi K. Raj a lawyer at the Supreme Court of India

The Justice K. Hema Committee report, which was released by the Kerala government on August 19, 2024, has ignited a debate on the issues faced by women in Malayalam film industry. The committee, which was formed in 2017, had submitted its report to the government in 2019. A redacted version of the report has now been put up in the public domain. Though it addresses the issues faced by women in the vernacular films, the issues transcend these boundaries.

Broadly, the report deals with two categories of issues. The first is the sexual exploitation of and assault against women in cinema. The report says that women are often required to exchange sexual favours for opportunities and those women who refuse to ‘co-operate’ are sidelined from the industry at the instance of powerful men. The second is discriminatory practices against women and a lack of even basic facilities. The report has facilitated a long overdue discussion on the lack of gender equality for women at the workplace. The brutal incident of the rape and murder of a doctor at a hospital in Kolkata also reinforces the need for this conversation.

Culture of assault

The concerns raised in the Hema Committee report are disturbing, yet are not surprising. They are an extension of the problems women face in a conservative, patriarchal society such as ours. Women are burdened by stereotypes and expectations about how they should behave. This is why it is problematic to consider instances of sexual assault on women as isolated. Viewed this way, rape must not be considered only as a crime committed by a bad man but as a culmination too of the social practices which deem the consent of women to be practically irrelevant. A rigid individualistic approach to sexual assault often distracts attention from this reality. Ranging from what to wear and what friends to have, individual choice is too often stolen from women. Rape is the crudest manifestation of this approach — not considering women as persons of autonomy and dignity. The normalisation of objectification and gender stereotypes has a central role in perpetuating sexual assault against women. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 31,516 cases of rape are reported in 2022 in India — a reported rape in every 16 minutes. Workplace harassment is another reflection of this culture of assault.

In the context of workplace assault, in Vishaka and Ors vs State Of Rajasthan and Ors (1997), a writ petition was filed to enforce the rights of working women against sexual harassment. A series of guidelines was prescribed by the Supreme Court of India — a unique kind of judicial legislation — to prevent workplace harassment. These included duties on the employer to prevent assault as well as the constitution of a complaint redress mechanism for aggrieved persons.

It took more than 16 years thereafter for the legislature to enact The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. A notable feature of the legislation is that it provides for the constitution of an internal complaints committee (ICC) which can be approached by the aggrieved woman. The definition of ‘workplace’ in section 2(o) of the Act is broad enough to take in the film industry as well.

The Justice Hema Committee report has however indicated that the ICC is not suitable for women in the film industry. It is argued that there is a likelihood of the abuser or the employer influencing ICC members. The committee, therefore, pleads for an independent forum constituted by the government to deal with the problems faced by women in cinema.

However, this is a problem that any ICC faces and is not unique to the industry. While additional safeguards of accountability might help alleviate the problem, the suggestion to completely overlook the complaints redress mechanism formulated by a parliamentary legislation seems unwise.

Registration of crimes

Many have questioned the lack of a registration of crimes pursuant to the committee report. They ask why an investigation is not initiated and why the accused cannot be brought to justice. The concern is sensible. The report is a modified version which redacted the names of survivors and the culprits. Masking the names of survivors is done in recognition of the principle of survivor anonymity, a well-accepted norm in criminal jurisprudence on sexual assault. Anonymity will remain intact during the investigation and prosecution as well.

In Nipun Saxena vs Union Of India (2018), the Supreme Court explained the importance of penalisation of the disclosure of the name and the identity of the survivors of sexual offences as mandated in Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code, which is now reiterated in Sections 72 and 73 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Since the provisions are substantially the same, the ratio of the judgment in Nipun Saxena would govern the field. In the judgment, the Court said that the object of the provision is to protect survivors from hostile discrimination and future harassment. This being the law of the land, the Kerala government must take a proactive role in the matter after sensitising itself in the matter.

The right to privacy is an integral part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution (Puttaswamy, 2017). The statements were given by several victims in the belief that this anonymity will be maintained. The right to decide whether to pursue a criminal case does lie with the victim. It is true that in our criminal justice system, the state initiates prosecution against the accused, arguing and conducting the case on behalf of the victim. However, even if the state investigates the crime, it becomes quite difficult to prove a crime without the cooperation of the victim.

Why survivors are often reluctant to pursue complaints in the case of sexual assault is important for us to recognise. A society which looks at survivors of sexual assault, with misguided empathy and disgust, instead of support and trust, probably has no moral standing to demand that the survivor must necessarily launch the complaint. We all share collective responsibility for manufacturing this status quo. Moreover, trials in sexual assault cases take years to complete, which are attributable to the high degree of judicial pendency in our country. Bear in mind that the Hema Committee was formed after the sexual assault allegation against a leading Malayalam cinema actor, the trial of which is not yet completed. Survivors also fear potential retaliation from the abuser and others, in terms of refusal to give them work, and being branded as ‘problem-makers.’

Structural reforms

The accusations in 2017 against Harvey Weinstein, the American film producer, had eventually led to the #MeToo movement which received global attention. The findings in the Hema Committee report must pave the way for structural reforms, for which the government must take an effective lead. The difficulties faced by women in the industry, particularly those in the lower strata as opposed to the lead actresses deserve acknowledgment. From the lack of adequate sanitation facilities to hostile bias, every issue needs comprehensive study and resolution. More importantly, the report will accelerate the Indian woman’s struggle against workplace discrimination by equipping her with an emboldened awareness.

New-age gateway devices, the latest health threat

Bhavna Barmi a clinical psychologist and Founder, Happiness Studio

What happens when a portrayed healthy alternative turns out to be more dangerous than the original? This is precisely what is happening with new-age gateway devices such as e-cigarettes, vaping pens, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, or ENDS, heat-not-burn (HNB) devices and other heated tobacco products (HTPs). All these devices were portrayed to offer a healthier alternative to smoking that would make it easier to quit tobacco. But the reality is quite different. Instead, they have caused a public health crisis, causing physical harm and affecting the mental well-being of children.

A new pandemic

Instead of helping people quit tobacco, the manufacturers of these new-age gateway devices have discovered a lucrative market — children. This has led to a surge in youth vaping, creating a new pandemic. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in United States, with 2.1 million (7.7%) students using e-cigarettes, including 5,50,000 (4.6%) middle school students. These devices are now getting a new generation hooked on nicotine and exposing them to potential long-term health consequences.

Children have been lured into trying and becoming addicted to e-cigarettes and vaping devices through a targeted marketing of flavours such as strawberry, cotton candy, pop rocks, and lemonade. In addition to alleged predatory marketing tactics, mental health issues and the negative effects of excessive technology use are also driving some children towards these devices.

The psychological factors affecting children operate on two levels.

First, children are increasingly susceptible to new-age devices from an early age. What was once an adolescent concern, for engaging in distracting activities and developing addictive tendencies, has shifted, with even those under 10 years of age now showing signs of vulnerability. The age group most at risk remains between 10 and 20 years old, a demographic that manufacturers allegedly exploit through appealing advertising and enticing vaping flavours.

The colourful imagery created by these new-age gateway devices suggests that these products will bring happiness and elevate one’s social status in the lives of targeted children. In their eagerness to fit in, children often prioritise peer preferences over their own, leading them to embrace vaping and other harmful behaviours. Those who vape are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation when compared to their peers who abstain from these.

These psychological factors contribute to a troubling surge in children being drawn to enticing electronic devices such as vapes and e-cigarettes.

A gateway to danger

The second aspect is the impact that such habits will have on the physical and mental well-being of children. While physical impacts such as lung damage and the spread of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) have become evident, we also need to shine the spotlight on the mental impact on children due to these new-age gateway devices.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies, an Australian Government statutory agency, has said that evidence indicates that vaping has negative effects on people who use e-cigarettes. With increasing rates of e-cigarette usage in Australia and worldwide, such new-age gateway devices are associated with mental health challenges such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, perceived stress, and suicide-related behaviours among adolescents. Key risk factors include friends’ positive attitudes towards vaping and parental smoking. E-cigarettes are highly addictive, particularly for individuals up to around the age of 25. This is a developmental stage which makes them especially vulnerable to structural and chemical changes induced by nicotine addiction. Once addiction takes root, it can increase the likelihood of developing other substance use disorders later in life, creating a cycle.

What is inside these new-age gateway devices that is causing more addiction?

Survey’s findings

In November 2022, JAMA Network Open, a medical journal published by the American Medical Association, revealed after a survey of 1,50,000-plus respondents, that more adolescent e-cigarette users reported using their first tobacco product within five minutes of waking when compared to users of cigarettes and other tobacco products combined. This finding highlights the strong grip that nicotine addiction has on the adolescent brain.

The study further said that e-cigarettes are highly engineered drug delivery devices designed to create and sustain addiction. Later versions of e-cigarettes, especially after 2015, started a more efficient delivery of nicotine. The addition of benzoic acid to the nicotine e-liquid produces protonated nicotine, which enhances the addictive potential by making it easier for users to inhale significant quantities of nicotine — levels that are difficult to achieve with traditional cigarettes or earlier e-cigarette models. This results in heightened addiction and an increased mental dependency on these devices.

These new-age gateway devices are also being used to experiment with harder substances such as cannabis, and even cocaine and heroin. Many children, teenagers, and even parents mistakenly believe that vaping only involves harmless water vapour and pleasant flavours. The reality is far more sinister and can lead to a lifetime of substance abuse issues.

Assured pensions

The outcome of the general election and the possible big challenge from the Opposition in the Assembly elections ahead appear to have forced the government at the Centre to take the decision to grant assured pension — now known as the ‘Unified Pension Scheme’ (Page 1, “Assured pensions return as govt. backtracks on NPS”, August 25). It is perhaps the fear of losing power that has made this government backtrack even on other issues including the scheme of lateral entry into the bureaucracy. This proves beyond doubt that it was arrogance that drove the government in its earlier terms. Anyhow though, ‘better late than never’.

S.K. Khosla,

Chandigarh

Government employees are overpaid and have nil or least accountability and productivity. Their demands are for more financial benefits. It is a fact that heavy amounts are spent towards pensions for government employees and MLAs/MPs. The government needs to evolve a uniform pension policy without scope for politics.

Kshirasagara Balaji Rao,

Hyderabad

Ukraine and Russia

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly has put the onus on India to try and ensure that it is Russia that ends the war (Inside pages, August 24). It is not clear as to how India will react to this.

T.M. Uday Shankar,

Hyderabad

Governor’s sanction

The moot question is whether, contrary to the advice given by the Council of Ministers, the Governor could have accorded sanction for the prosecution of the Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, for alleged corruption. Sanction should be based on investigation and strong material. Otherwise, it would be a farce. The President and the Governors are bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. However, under Article 163(1), the Governor can exercise his discretion whenever it is required. But he has to give valid reasons as to why he is disagreeing with the Council of Ministers.

Over the last decade, the Governor’s role has become Governor’s rule as the ruling BJP has routinely used Governors to destabilise Opposition-ruled States. This has been destructive of the federal structure and the rule of law, and all principles of constitutional accountability.

N.G.R. Prasad,

Chennai

Middle path

The modified pension scheme overcomes some shortcomings of NPS

The Centre has restored guaranteed pensions for its employees, meeting their demand halfway, and weakly trying to hold on to principles of fiscal prudence. Pension schemes around the world, whether contributory and market linked or underwritten by the exchequer, are facing a crisis, due to multiple factors, including demographic reasons. According to the Reserve Bank of India, the total Budget estimates of various States and Union Territories for pension in 2023-24 was ₹5,22,105.4 crore, which is between 6%-21% of their total revenue receipts. Pensioners argue that it is their deferred wages. It can also be argued that pensions from the exchequer are at the cost of future generations. Governments are outsourcing jobs through contracts, and resorting to innovations such as Agnipath — a short service scheme for the military services — and the ballooning of pension bills is among the reasons that drive such measures. Governments are also leaving posts unfilled. All such measures are leading to two things. First, it negatively affects state capacity, and second, it reduces avenues for government and public sector jobs for India’s expanding number of young job seekers. The New Pension Scheme (NPS), which was market-linked and managed by an autonomous entity, was introduced during the stock market boom. Two decades later, when people began retiring under the NPS — those who joined after January 1, 2004 — it turned out that they were receiving much less than what they would have got under the old scheme.

With the Congress making the restoration of the old scheme a central piece of its politics, the BJP was pushed to the corner. A committee led by former Finance Secretary and Cabinet Secretary-designate T.V. Somanathan devised a middle path that involves employee contributions and enhanced share from the Centre. The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), approved by the Cabinet, promises a pension of 50% of the average basic pay of the last 12 months before retirement and a minimum pension of ₹10,000 for those who worked for at least 10 years. The Centre’s share towards the scheme was increased from 14% under the NPS to 18.5%, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said will ensure government employees dignity and financial security. The BJP and the government should note that no reform can be sustainable without broad political consensus. Social security for older people must cover the widest segment of the population. Government employees are an organised pressure group, and having managed to restore their guaranteed pension, they should wholeheartedly welcome the UPS, rather than protest against employee contribution.

Catalyst for change

The Hema Committee report should help reform the film industry

At different points of time, come events that have the potential to shape the future. Whether these catalysts fulfil that potential to the fullest extent or not is in the hands of the people in their vortex. The Justice K. Hema Committee report that studied the issues faced by women in cinema, could well be one such catalyst. The three-member committee was constituted in 2017, based on a petition submitted by the Kerala-based Women in Cinema Collective, and submitted its report two years later. It was released last week, several paragraphs redacted, and contains unsurprising and yet disturbing revelations about the state of affairs in the film industry — discrimination, exploitation and sexual harassment of women. The term ‘casting couch’, hatched in Hollywood, has become repugnantly accepted as a euphemism for sexual favours in exchange for a role in films. Justice Hema points out that making the exchange of sexual favours the passkey for entry into the field itself, and normalising it and conflating it with consensual sexual activity, makes the industry inherently exploitative. The report deals also with other inequities that disadvantage women in the industry, including the lack of essential facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, safe transportation, and accommodation at the shooting spot which are violative of the right to privacy; and discrimination in remuneration, and a lack of binding contractual agreements. These affect the range of women across the industry — actors, technicians, make-up artists, dancers, support staff, and particularly so, women lower in the pecking order.

The way ahead is not as murky as the hole that the film industry, here Malayalam, seems to find itself in. The government has decided to constitute a special investigation team to go into the accusations of harassment. While the government would do well to ignore the committee’s recommendation on doing away with internal complaints committees for each film project, it must act on suggestions that call for provision of essential facilities and for structural reforms within the film industry, including professionalising it. Nothing will change unless the state gets involved meaningfully in creating an equitable work space for men and women, in an industry dominated by people with great power and money, who have so far refuted the existence of such a power cartel or have remained silent. Each of the issues raised must be taken cognisance of, and acted upon. As with the #MeToo movement, Justice Hema’s report has the potential of being a catalyst to enable scores of women to speak up. It behoves the state to ensure that their complaints are not ignored, or worse still, used against them.

Indians who migrate abroad double their incomes

The Hindu Data Team

As their incomes increase by more than 100% when they move abroad, most Indians do not return home even if they are paid more than they were earlier

Indians who migrate abroad often experience more than a 100% increase in their income levels whereas Indians who continue to work in their homeland often have to wait for over 20 years to get such a hike. This explains why most Indians who go abroad do not return home even if they benefit from a wage premium on doing so. These conclusions are based on a recent World Bank report titled ‘Migrants, Refugees and Societies’.

Indians who migrate abroad experience an average 118% increase in their income levels (Chart 1). International migrants from Bangladesh and Ghana experience a 210% and 153% increase in income, respectively. The report states that one key driver for economic migration is the wage gap between the origin and destination country. A truck driver in Canada earns five times more than a truck driver in Mexico, even after adjusting for the difference in cost of living. Nurses in Germany earn nearly seven times more than nurses in the Philippines.

While the absolute gains in incomes after migration are higher for high-skilled workers, low-skilled workers also experience a multi-fold increase in income. Chart 2 shows the income gains for low-skilled workers who migrate to the U.S. The incomes of low-skilled Indians who migrate to the U.S. increase by 493%. The incomes of low-skilled migrants from Nigeria and Yemen increase by about 1,500%, the highest rise.

Chart 3 shows the income gains of low-skilled workers in other migration corridors. The incomes of low-skilled Indians who migrate to the Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) surge by 118%. Indians who migrate to the UAE specifically experience a 298% increase. This calculation doesn’t adjust incomes for purchasing power parity because most of the spending occurred in the origin country through remittances. About 85% of the Indian migrants’ earnings in UAE are spent in India.

The potential gains in income are highest when people move from low to high-income countries. A non-migrant from India would need 24 years of economic growth to match the gains made by an Indian who migrated to a high-income country, while a non-migrant from Bangladesh or Ghana would need 43 years and one from the Philippines would need 78 years. Chart 4 shows the number of years it would take for non-migrants in origin countries to match the economic gains made by migrants who moved to high-income countries.

The report states that about 40% of all migrants eventually return to their country of origin. However, the number varies based on destination. All migrants leave Gulf Cooperation Council countries. About 20% to 50% of migrants leave OECD countries within five to 10 years of arrival or move to a third country. Less than 20% of migrants leave the U.S. Those who do are mostly from high-income regions such as Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — in these cases, the return rates are over 40%. The return rate of Asian migrants in the U.S. is about 20%. Chart 5 shows the share of migrants who leave the U.S., by gender and region of origin.

Temporary migrants who return voluntarily after staying abroad turn out to be better off than before they left. Migrants benefit from a wage premium on coming back, especially if they are high-skilled workers. However, those who are forced to return face poorer socio-economic outcomes. On average, less than 2% of migrants are forced to return from the U.S., Canada, European Union, Japan, and Korea every year.

Investing in persons with disabilities

Rajesh Ranjan lawyer-researcher who writes on public law, rights, and public engagement of Constitution

A recent Hindi movie, Srikanth, starring Rajkummar Rao, narrates the story of the industrialist Srikanth Bolla and his journey of overcoming the challenge of visual impairment. In the film, the people of Srikanth’s father’s village ask the family not to invest in the son’s education or life in general. Many parents of children with some form of disability are similarly made to believe that their offspring are not worthy of investment. Persons with disabilities (PwDs) face social stigma, marginalisation in all sectors, and discrimination in education and employment; most importantly, they struggle for dignity. Educational institutions lack the necessary infrastructure and support mechanisms and workplaces lack robust diversity policies that would give proper representation to PwDs.

Status of education and jobs

The 2023 report by Nifty 50 constituent companies reveals that only five out of the 50 companies have more than 1% of PwDs on their rolls, with four of them being public sector companies. Similarly, data from the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People reveals that less than 1% of India’s educational institutions are disabled-friendly, less than 40% of school buildings have ramps, and approximately 17% have accessible restrooms. A report of the Sarthak Educational Trust titled ‘Accessibility and Inclusion in Higher Education in India’ states that reservation is provided under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, in government jobs, and incentives in non-government jobs, but there is a clear lack of implementation. The lack of infrastructure combined with the lack of inclusive policies hinders the full participation of PwDs in society. Thus, it is imperative that both public and private institutions invest in the uplift of PwDs.

The Indian education system needs an inclusive framework to promote PwDs. For instance, Harvard University in the U.S. has Local Disability Coordinators who are specialised in helping PwDs find accommodation in the city. Similarly, Stanford University in the U.S. has a robust institutional structure which includes providing support in housing and devices to PwDs. It also has a comprehensive resource centre that supports students with disabilities. Few Indian universities provide such impressive models. In 2023, Shiv Nadar University enumerated a disability support policy, which includes providing personalised support to students on a case-by-case basis, depending on the student’s health condition every semester. Based on the nature and severity of the disability, the Dean of Academics decides measures for academic accommodation and the Dean of Students for other aspects.

However, these measures are not institutionalised. Hence, they are not uniform, leaving a vast number of students from diverse backgrounds outside the walls of the university. Despite the University Grants Commission’s draft accessibility and inclusivity guidelines for higher education institutions to ensure that admission announcements and advertisements are circulated in accessible formats, the presence of PwDs is not very encouraging.

In terms of employment, despite the legislative mandate of providing reservation for PwDs, and of drafting an equal opportunity policy detailing the measures proposed by the establishment to ensure an inclusive work environment and prohibit discrimination at the workplace, employers have failed to do these. For the effective implementation of these rules, States should come forward and develop a compliance mechanism. For instance, a model from Brazil can be emulated, where companies with more than 100 employees must have PwDs comprise 2%-5% of the total workforce. In cases of non-compliance, the company may be subject to fines based on criteria such as its size and the number of times offences were repeated. Some countries have also developed incentive mechanisms. Japan, for instance, has developed a system of subsidiaries for employees who have some form of disability.

Striving for dignity

The British artist, David Hevey, once remarked that “the history of the portrayal of disabled people is the history of oppressive and negative representation. This has meant that disabled people have been presented as socially flawed able-bodied people, not as disabled people with their own identities”. The identity of PwDs is eroded in several ways. PwDs are considered by many as pitiful or helpless. Many believe that PwDs can only be in relationships with one another. Disability in addition to belonging to a “lower” caste or a particular gender creates a double/triple burden on people.

Sociologist Colin Barnes has argued that PwDs are “portrayed as objects of pity, violence, curiosity and ridicule, as burdens on society, sexually abnormal, and overall, as people incapable of community participation”. This portrayal forms the basis of the societal attitude towards PwDs. Recently, three former cricketers mocked PwDs in a video that went viral after India won the World Championship of Legends. Everyday struggles and the stigmatisation and mockery of PwDs reveals the inability of so-called “able-bodied people” to treat them equally with dignity.

Abhishek Anicca in his book, The Grammar of My Body, writes, “My friends say disabled people can be negative. I agree. We are so negative that sometimes the able-bodied mind never reaches us. That distance is too far... It is thus those who are creating the distance [who] should bridge the gap.”

The polity of J&K is at an inflection point

Peerzada Ashiq

After decades, regional leaders are looking inwards rather than at New Delhi

The Election Commission of India (ECI)’s announcement that Assembly elections will soon be held in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has already recast mainstream politics in the Union Territory. Assembly elections were last held in the erstwhile State of J&K in 2014. Today, a region marred by three decades of conflict and separatist Hurriyat’s boycott politics is charting a new path with electoral politics and drawing new battle lines between regional and national political forces.

The manifestos of J&K’s two regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), reflect this change. Since the armed uprising in J&K in the 1990s, mainstream parties would focus on sadak, bijli, pani (road, electricity, water) during elections, leaving core ideological politics of aspirations and sentiment to the separatists. However, the Centre’s move on August 5, 2019, to end J&K’s semi-autonomous status and divide the State into two UTs (J&K and Ladakh) posed an existential crisis to the mainstream parties, forcing them to seek restoration of the rights that existed earlier. As a result, after many decades, the top leaders in J&K are looking inwards rather than at New Delhi.

In the NC’s manifesto titled ‘Dignity, Identity and Development’, NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah spelled out the party’s new political direction, saying the path ahead is fraught with challenges. “Our identity has not only been questioned but systematically eroded,” he said. The NC has pledged to strive for the implementation of the Autonomy Resolution passed by the J&K Assembly in 2000, which seeks more powers in the region than what was enshrined in Article 370 until 2019. It hinted at the pre-1953 position when New Delhi exercised powers in the matters of defence, communication, and foreign affairs alone, while J&K retained the nomenclature of Sadr-e-Riyasat for the head of state. The NC plans to begin the new Assembly, if it has the numbers, with a resolution against the Centre’s decisions of August 5, 2019.

Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP has sought a final resolution on the Kashmir problem, resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan, and more economic linkages in the region, while referring to the undivided erstwhile State of J&K as it existed prior to 1947.

Both the NC and the PDP have pledged to reverse the laws introduced to J&K in the past five years on land, jobs, mining rights, and natural resources. They have also promised to roll back laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978; the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967; and the Enemy Agents Ordinance, 2005, which have been widely used by the Centre in the past five years to curb separatism in J&K. The PSA, which deals with preventive detention, is one of the few laws retained from the separate Constitution of the erstwhile State of J&K. In fact, Omar Abdullah from the NC and Ms. Mufti from the PDP, both former Chief Ministers, were detained by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration under the PSA in 2019 for several months.

Through their hardened positions, the two parties pose a new challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Central government in navigating the volatile situation in J&K. The Centre had aimed to dislodge and discredit mainstream regional parties in J&K after 2019. It propped up new regional parties that treat Article 370 as part of the past and not as an issue of the future. However, in the District Development Council polls in 2020, the regional alliance, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, won 110 out of 180 segments, showing how the regional parties still hold sway. During the Lok Sabha elections this year, the NC and Congress won two out of five seats in J&K. The Awami Ittehad Party, whose chief Sheikh Rashid, widely known as Engineer Rashid, has been calling for a referendum against “oppression” and involvement of the United JehadCouncil in the talks, managed to win the Baramulla seat.

The new electoral calculus has the Centre rethinking its policy of political engineering. Its iron-hand approach towards separatists may have brought peace, which no thinking policymaker in New Delhi considers permanent. While restoring electoral politics will lessen the sense of alienation in J&K, New Delhi will have to engage with these political demands sooner rather than later. The BJP is a significant player in J&K, with a dedicated vote bank in the Hindu belt of the Jammu region. It has to reinvent itself like the NC and the PDP in J&K.

When U.S. Generals were watched

Washington, Aug. 25: The United States Defence Secretary, Mr. James Schlesinger, and members of his staff kept a close watch on their Generals during the final days of the Nixon Administration to avoid the possibility of a military show of force in support of Mr. Nixon, an informed source reported here yesterday. Mr. Schlesinger feared that an order could possibly to given to a military unit outside normal channels to stage such a display between a vote on impeachment in the U.S. House of Representatives and a trial of the President in the U.S. Senate, the source said. The Defence Secretary told a journalist speaking of that period: “In keeping with my statutory responsibilities, I did assure myself that there would be no question about the proper constitutional and legislated chain of command and there never was any question.” The Defence Department never had the slightest indication during that time that the White House had even considered using military units to block the impeachment process against Mr. Nixon, the source said. But Pentagon officials kept an especially close surveillance on the Air Force and its leaders for any signs of activity in support of the President, he continued. The U.S. Air Force is believed to have remained especially faithful to the former President because of his insistence on continuing the war in Vietnam until it was certain that American prisoners, the majority of whom were Air Force pilots, were to be tried and honourably repatriated. The source said that the Defence Department carefully watched the atmosphere in mess halls and officers’ clubs and found there a predominant feeling of respect for the constitutional procedure being carried out against the President.

Alliance bank

Calcutta, Aug. 25: At the High Court today Mr. Justice C.C. Ghese delivered judgment dismissing the application made by two Indian creditors of the Alliance Bank of Simla, Ltd., in voluntary liquidation, praying that the Bank be compulsorily wound up. They also prayed that another gentleman, preferably a qualified accountant, be appointed joint official liquidator with the existing liquidators.

On West Bengal’s civic police volunteers

Shiv Sahay Singh

How did Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, gain unrestricted access to the hospital? Is this the first incident involving excesses by civic police volunteers? How do such volunteers aid the government?

Systemic change: Law students hold a protest march in Kolkata, on August 24. PTISwapan Mahapatra

The story so far:

As protests rage across West Bengal and in different parts of the country over the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, questions are being raised as to how she was assaulted inside a State-run health facility. The accused, arrested hours after the crime, is a civic police volunteer, who not only had access to the hospital but also the emergency building where the victim was found dead on August 9.

Was he a civic police volunteer?

The accused, Sanjay Roy, had been working as a civic police volunteer with the Kolkata Police since 2019. Despite being engaged as a civic police volunteer, the accused enjoyed certain facilities accorded to police personnel; he drove a motorbike belonging to the police, and stayed in the barracks of the Kolkata Armed Police’s fourth battalion. There are reports that the 35-year-old was also associated with the Kolkata Police Welfare Committee and helped in admission of relatives of police personnel to hospitals.

What are the terms of employment?

Civic volunteers, or village police volunteers as they are known in rural areas, are contractual workers engaged by the police for assistance, particularly in traffic management and other minor duties that do not require police personnel. The process of recruitment for civic police volunteers started in 2011 soon after the Mamata Banerjee government came to power. In a government order on September 26, 2011, the eligibility criteria for the recruitment of civic police volunteers were specified. It said the applicant should be a resident of the area under the police station where he will be deployed; should be above 20 years of age; should have passed the Class X examination and should not have any criminal record. The educational qualification of the civic police was later changed to Class VIII pass.

Soon after the first set of recruitment in 2011, the police submitted a proposal to the government for engaging 1.3 lakh civic police volunteers. The honorarium of civic police volunteers is now ₹310.00 per day (about ₹9,300 per month). The ad-hoc bonus of such civic volunteers has been increased from ₹5,300 to ₹6,000 for the year 2023-2024. At present there are 7,200 civic volunteers with the Kolkata Police, while the strength of the force stands at 37,400. In the State, the strength of the police is 79,024, but there are over 1.24 lakh civic police volunteers.

What has Calcutta High Court said?

Through several orders, the Calcutta High Court has raised questions about the recruitment and legal veracity of civic police volunteers. In an order dated May 20, 2016, Justice Sanjib Banerjee of the Calcutta High Court said the recruitment scheme of civic police volunteers was devised to prey on the unemployed with little respect for taxpayer’s money.

In Chandra Kanta Ganguli vs The State of West Bengal and Others, Justice Banerjee noted that it was not humanly or physically possible for the five men on the interview board to reasonably vet 1,351 candidates in the course of a single day for the Sarenga police station or even 875 candidates for the Barikul police station. In another case in 2020, where civic police volunteers had approached the Calcutta High Court after their services were discontinued, a division Bench had pointed out that the conditions “which we have narrated (in the order) clearly demonstrate that the deployment of appellants/petitioners as civic police volunteers was temporary in nature and it cannot be considered as an engagement on probation.” There have been several occasions where the High Court and the police administration had clearly stated that civic police volunteers will not be deployed in any law and order duty. Despite such orders, there are regular instances of civic volunteers being engaged in law and order duties.

What is the main criticism?

While engagement of local civic police volunteers has come in handy for the West Bengal government in managing conflict, there have been several cases of excesses conducted by civic police volunteers. The most talked about case was the unnatural death of student leader Anish Khan in February 2022, where a civic police volunteer and a home guard were arrested. More recently, after the R.G. Kar incident, a civic police volunteer was arrested from Bhatar State General Hospital after he threatened a lady doctor.

Both Opposition leaders and political observers say the civic police is an extension of the party. Biswanath Chakraborty, professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University, says that the civic volunteers have provided a political footing to the Trinamool Congress. “There is no proper process for appointment of such personnel. This makes the local Trinamool Congress leadership appoint personnel who will be loyal to them,” Prof. Chakrabory said. The crisis of unemployment in the State has led the Mamata Banerjee government to devise an ingenious way of contractual recruitment where thousands of youth are provided just about minimum wage and can work for the party without any accountability, he pointed out.

Often the criteria of appointment has been overlooked in engaging civic police volunteers. The mother-in-law of the accused in the R.G. Kar rape and murder said her family had approached the police after Sanjay Roy assaulted their daughter. Despite a police complaint, he continued to function as a civic police volunteer and had unrestrained access to the hospital.

What did the 2013 panel say on death penalty for rape?

Sudipta Datta

What were the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee? What about marital rape?

The story so far:

After the brutal rape and murder of a doctor on duty at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, there has been a clamour of voices seeking the death penalty for the accused. The Justice J.S. Verma Committee recommendations, which led to the amendment of criminal laws in 2013, had specifically said it was not inclined to recommend the death penalty for rape even for the rarest of rare cases. “...seeking of [the] death penalty would be a regressive step in the field of sentencing and reformation,” the committee pointed out.

What did the Union Cabinet decide?

The Union Cabinet did not take the recommendation on the death penalty when it cleared an ordinance on sexual assault in 2013, and signed the criminal amendments into law. The committee to amend criminal laws was set up after the gang rape of a paramedic student in Delhi on December 16, 2012. Led by Justice J.S. Verma (retired), the committee submitted its recommendations on January 23, 2013. One of its key suggestions, that the death penalty does not necessarily act as a deterrent against such crimes, was overlooked.

Key amendments were brought in to provide the death penalty for rape that led to death of the victim or reduced her to a persistent vegetative state (Section 376A of the Indian Penal Code) and anyone found guilty of rape more than once (Section 376E). In 2018, further changes introduced death as the maximum punishment for every participant in a gang rape when the victim is less than 12 years old (Section 376DB), and life-long imprisonment if the victim is less than 16 (Section 376DA). Under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, punishment for rape is laid down in several Sections including 64, 65 and 70(2), which notes the punishment for gang rape of a woman under the age of 18 is the death penalty.

What did the committee recommend?

The Justice Verma Committee provided for enhanced sentences for rape, increasing it from 7 years to 10 years, 20 years, and life, but “short of death”. “Whoever causes the person to be in a persistent vegetative state, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than twenty years, but may be for life, which shall mean the rest of that person’s natural life,” it noted. The committee pointed out that “there is considerable evidence that the deterrent effect of death penalty on serious crimes is actually a myth. According to the Working Group on Human Rights, the murder rate has declined consistently in India over the last 20 years despite the slowdown in the execution of death sentences since 1980.”

What was its stance on marital rape?

The Verma Committee recommended that the exception to marital rape be removed, pointing out that “a marital or other relationship between the perpetrator or victim is not a valid defence against the crimes of rape or sexual violation.” Concurring with the judgment of the European Commission of Human Rights in C.R. vs U.K., the Verma Committee endorsed the conclusion that a rapist remains a rapist regardless of his relationship with the victim. The Union government did not go by this recommendation and refused to criminalise marital rape. Under the BNS, exception 2 of Section 63 states that “sexual intercourse or acts by a man with his wife, the wife not being under 18 years of age, is not rape.”

What about gender rights?

The Verma Committee pointed out that “the ethos of empowerment of women does not limit itself to political equality, but also extends, in equal terms, to social, educational, and economic equality. If true empowerment of women were to mean anything, it is necessary that law, as well as public policy, must be capable of engaging substantially with women’s rights, opportunities, acquisition of skills, the ability to generate self-confidence and insist on total equality in relationships, both with society and the state.” The correction of social mindsets of its gender bias depends more on social norms, it observed, noting that “the deficiency has to be overcome by leaders in society aided by the necessary systemic changes in education and societal behaviour.”

Tackling the frictions in cross-border payments: a call for innovative solutions

Sanhita Chauriha

As new technologies emerge and the demand for improved cross-border payment systems grow , various bilateral and multilateral initiatives are being undertaken to enhance cross-border payment capabilities

Getty ImagesST.art

The global cross-border payments market was valued at $181.9 trillion in 2022, and is projected to reach $356.5 trillion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2023 to 2032. Historically, cross-border payments were initiated through manual processes, often involving letters of credit, checks, and extensive documentation. They have evolved significantly throughout history, closely intertwined with the development of trade, currency exchange, and industrialisation. With the onset of industrialisation and wire transfers, banks began to facilitate cross-border fund transfers. However, despite technological advances, cross-border payments remain riddled with inefficiencies that hinder their effectiveness. These frictions affect businesses and individuals and pose a significant barrier to financial inclusion and economic growth. Enhancing the efficiency of cross-border payments is a key priority on the G-20 roadmap.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has released numerous consultations to gather insights and drive improvements. The FSB has identified particularly four challenges associated with cross-border payments — high costs, low speed, limited access, and insufficient transparency.

The old and the new

The Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlement classify retail cross-border payment arrangements into four models: correspondent banking, closed loop or the single system model, interlinking of payment infrastructures, and peer-to-peer.

Correspondent banking uses intermediary banks, increasing the complexity of payment and costs. This model is declining due to regulatory costs and fintech competition. The single system model relies on single payment service providers, facing interoperability and regulatory issues. Interlinking payment infrastructures involve connecting countries’ systems for seamless transactions but has technical and regulatory challenges. Peer-to-peer allows direct payments using technologies like distributed ledgers. The FSB has identified issues such as high costs and low speeds in these systems, proposing solutions and leveraging technologies such as blockchain and digital wallets to enhance cross-border payments.

As new technologies emerge and the demand for improved cross-border payment systems grow, various bilateral and multilateral initiatives are being undertaken to enhance cross-border payment capabilities. These new-age models represent a significant shift from traditional cross-border payment methods, reflecting the ongoing evolution of the global financial landscape. Most of these new-age cross-border payment projects fall into three primary categories: Linking Fast Payment Systems (FPS) or Instant Payment Systems (IPS), Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) projects focusing on cross-border payments, and distributed ledger technology (DLT) based cross-border payment projects. Notably, many DLT-based projects also involve CBDCs. Innovative pilot projects aim to make international transactions faster, more cost-effective, and more secure, offering improved financial access and efficiency for businesses and individuals worldwide.

The PayNow-PromptPay (PNPP or PPPN) linkage, launched in April 2021, connects the FPS of Singapore (PayNow) and Thailand (PromptPay) through cross-border gateways built and operated by both countries’ systems operators (BCS and ITMX, respectively). Similarly, the UPI-PayNow linkage enables real-time, cross-border fund transfers between India and Singapore. It allows users to send money using mobile numbers or virtual payment addresses, offering a secure and cost-effective solution for international remittances.

Challenges to cross-border payments

Cross-border payments rely not only on technology but also on adherence to various legal and regulatory frameworks. According to a 2021 Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) report, providers highlighted legal, regulatory, and compliance costs as major challenges. Payments crossing multiple jurisdictions must comply with diverse domestic laws regarding anti-money laundering, customer due diligence, data sharing, and settlement processes, necessitating consistent and enforceable rules across all involved countries. As innovations flourish, regulatory bodies worldwide are catching up to create frameworks that ensure security, stability, and transparency. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has been pivotal in setting international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing that include guidelines for digital payment methods.

A significant regulatory challenge noted by many surveyed projects is the inconsistent implementation of the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) framework, which can profoundly impact system design and functionality. The FSB’s 2023 report reveals that while AML/CFT requirements are based on FATF principles, fragmentation across jurisdictions creates friction, particularly in wire transfer recordkeeping. This inconsistency affects various aspects of cross-border payments, including customer identification, sanctions screening, and data sharing. Variations in documentation requirements and screening processes can lead to delays, additional queries, and operational inefficiencies.

Furthermore, privacy laws and data protection regulations contribute to these challenges. For instance, varying standards for data sharing and privacy can complicate compliance with AML/CFT regulations, leading to issues such as conflicting information and increased manual reconciliation. Overall, these regulatory discrepancies necessitate tailored solutions for each jurisdiction, adding complexity and cost to cross-border payment systems.

The way forward

To ensure the integrity and efficiency of cross-border payments, legal frameworks must balance user privacy with financial integrity requirements, particularly around AML and CFT. Countries should adopt a risk-based approach to AML/CFT compliance, ensuring consistency in regulatory measures and engaging the private sector to develop effective techno-legal solutions.

This involves clearly defining participant roles in compliance, setting transaction limits for reduced compliance requirements, enhancing sanctions screening through information sharing, and exploring Know Your Customer (KYC) utilities to streamline identity verification.

Additionally, countries should agree on common purpose codes to reduce compliance costs and technical issues in cross-border payments.

Security and privacy are paramount in cross-border payment systems. Governance frameworks should outline clear terms for data collection, processing, and sharing, ensuring compliance with data protection laws.

Privacy-by-design principles should be incorporated to address privacy concerns. International cooperation on privacy interoperability through bilateral agreements and model contractual clauses is essential. Consumer protection must include transparency regarding fees, terms, and a clear grievance redressal mechanism.

A robust dispute resolution framework should address both user grievances and inter-provider disputes, including a centralised complaint management system and a well-defined process for resolving conflicts between Payment Service Providers (PSPs).

Access to cross-border payments should be broadened by including non-bank entities and simplifying compliance requirements, while capital controls should be streamlined to facilitate smoother transactions.

Overall, these measures are critical for enhancing the efficiency and inclusiveness of cross-border payment systems.

Sanhita Chauriha is a Technology and Data Privacy Lawyer. Views are Personal.

A quiz on the U.S. Open, the final tennis Major of the year, that gets underway today

V. V. Ramanan

Visual question: Name this former champion, who broke the colour barrier in tennis and was the first African-American to win a Grand Slam title, whose statue is located at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. AFPTIMOTHY A. CLARY

Question 1

Name this great who claimed the men’s singles crown in 1968, the first ever U.S. Open, but was ineligible to receive the $14,000 first prize because of his amateur status?

Question 2

One of the three main show courts at the U.S. Open is named after the champion mentioned in the previous question. Which are the other two show courts?

Question 3

Who holds the record among men and women for most titles won across events at the U.S. Open?

Question 4

Which five-time singles champion has the distinction of being the only player to win the U.S. Open on three different surfaces (grass in 1974, clay in 1976 and hard in 1978, 1982-83)?

Question 5

Who in 1988 beat Gabriela Sabatini to complete the first calendar Grand Slam since Margaret Court in 1970?

Question 6

In the context of Indian tennis, what connects Martin Damm, Lukas Dlouhy, Radek Stepanek, Cara Black and Martina Hingis?

Questions and Answers to the August 23 edition of the daily quiz: 1. Only two other politicians (since World War II) were elected as Vice Presidents of the U.S. and were from the State of Minnesota. Ans: Walter Mondale, Hubert Humphrey

2. Directed by Ron Howard, this 2020 drama film was based on the memoir written by the current vice presidential candidate of the Republican party. Ans: J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy

3. The father of the current Vice President of the U.S, and his country of origin. Ans: Donald Harris, Jamaica

4. This Vice President went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize (jointly with another recipient). Ans: Al Gore

5. This man holds the distinction of being the first vice presidential nominee from one of the two major parties in the U.S. Ans: Geraldine Ferraro

Visual: Identify this gentleman. Ans: John Adams, the first Vice President of the United States

Early Birds: K. N.Viswanathan| Shraddha Padad| Seema Das

Things between us have soured

S. Upendran

However, I want to give her these chocolates and candies because I know she has a sweet tooth

1 of 2

2 of 2

“Wow! So many varieties of sweets! Are you expecting company?”

“My neighbour celebrated his birthday yesterday. He brought all these sweets earlier this morning.”

“Did you tell him that you like sweets?”

“I didn’t need to. Everyone in this building knows that I have a sweet tooth.”

“You have a sweet tooth? Does it mean someone who likes sweets?”

“That’s right! If you say that you have a ‘sweet tooth’, what you’re suggesting is that you’re someone who is very fond of most things that taste sweet. I have a strong sweet tooth.”

“Nobody in my family has a sweet tooth.”

“What’s happened to your voice? It sounds terrible. Did you drink…”

“Had lime juice a couple of days ago. The lemon used must have been really…How do you pronounce s..o..u..r?”

“Native speakers of English make it rhyme with ‘power’, ‘our’ and ‘shower’.”

“I see. I’ve heard many people making it rhyme with ‘bore’, ‘pour’ and ‘shore’.”

“That’s incorrect. You know what ‘sour’ means, right?”

“Of course, I do! Something that has a sharp, unpleasant taste. Unripe mangoes can be, at times, very sour.”

“And don’t forget lemons.”

“Let’s forget about sour mangoes and lemons, shall we? If you’re going to Gopal’s party, I’d like to come with you.”

“You’ll need to find somebody else, I’m afraid. My relationship with Gopal has soured. So, I will not…”

“Your relationship has soured? What are you talking about?”

“The word ‘sour’ has several different meanings. When you talk about a relationship turning sour, what you mean is that it has become bad. The two individuals are no longer friends.”

“It’s no longer fun to be in the company of the other person.”

“Exactly! Here’s an example. The difference of opinion about the amount of money each should get, soured relations between the two sisters.”

“Money is the main reason that relationships sour.”

“It’s also possible to say, ‘go sour’. Sunitha is very thin skinned. If you keep making fun of her, your relationship is likely to go sour.”

“It doesn’t really matter. Tell me, if you are not going to the party this evening, what will you be doing?”

“I’ll do what I always do. I’ll sit about and watch TV.”

“Sit about? Don’t you mean ‘sit around’?”

“They mean the same thing. When you ‘sit about’ or ‘sit around’ the house, you’re wasting your time. You’re not…”

“You’re not doing anything useful. You do very little work.”

“Very good! The two expressions are mostly used to show disapproval.”

upendrankye@gmail.com

Business

- High risk and high reward bets can be a losing strategy

- Port to own plan from group plan

- Decode new age risk in investments

- Berger Paints expands canvas at 100

- Bold new stitch: The ‘complete man’ gets a complete makeover

- Banks lose out to MFs despite offering higher interest

- Why many prefer private debt to bank loans

High risk and high reward bets can be a losing strategy

Anand Srinivasan, Sashwath Swaminathan

When an investor decides to opt for a high-risk, high-reward strategy, they inherently undertake such a gamble where they face heavy downside risk while trying to chase large winners.

1 of 3 Body blow: An example of how things can go wrong is the 2000s dot-com bubble, which corrected by 75%..Getty Images/istockalashi

2 of 3 Investing in firms trading well below intrinsic value, with low PE ratios and minimal debt, offers a safer route to outperform in the long run vis-a-vis volatile market favourites

3 of 3 By avoiding huge losses from downturns, you position yourself for long-term outperformance, outlasting those who fail to account for downside risk

Almost every investor aspires to outperform the market and peers by a significant margin.

When asked how they plan to achieve this, they often vaguely reference the strategy of picking big winners in the stock market, aiming at substantial returns. In theory, this approach is hard to refute — after all, selecting large winners should, all else being equal, set one’s portfolio apart from the market.

However, as the famous baseball player Yogi Berra once said, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.”

To uncover the limitations of aggressively chasing big winners, we must first examine a mathematical phenomenon that challenges this strategy

Coin toss

Let us view the example of Professor Ole Peter’s simple coin toss. Suppose once you flip a coin and if it is heads you gain 50% more or if it is tails you lose 40%. If you started with ₹100, most of us would take the bet because it seems favourably skewed.

We assume that if we take the bet enough times, we will turn a tidy profit for the day. However, the key distinction here is that if you were to take the bet suppose 100 times, the expected value of your net worth would be close to ₹0. The reason is if you were to win the first toss and gain ₹50 and lose the second toss, your net worth would already be at ₹90, and suppose you were to lose the first toss and win the second toss, your net worth would be at ₹90 as well. If you repeated this game for 10 tosses and won five of them and lost five of them, your expected net worth would be ₹59.

Losing more

Therefore, the more bets you take as you will be expected to have an equal number of heads and tails, you will stand to lose much more than you gain. The reason is that if you were to lose 40% of your principal, it would take roughly a 67% increase to make back the losses and become whole. If 10 individuals took this gamble at the same time once, a large portion of them would have positive results.

However, it is guaranteed as they progress, all of them will finally end up with negative returns. Similarly, when in the markets when an investor decides to opt for a high-risk, high-reward strategy, they inherently undertake such a gamble where they have heavy downside risk while trying to chase large winners. In some cases, this pays off, with those investors raking in large gains and outperforming the market exceptionally as evidenced by those who rode the AI stock boom in the U.S. Another way in which the bet morphs into high risk and high reward involves the use of leverage in their portfolios.

‘Disastrous leverage’

When an investor takes multiple bets in this same fashion in the stock market, one bad coin toss, or in our case stock pick (sometimes with leverage involved) ends up with disastrous losses leading them to never be able to recoup their losses.

These individuals end up underperforming even those who had parked their investments in risk-free assets such as treasury bills. An example of how things can go wrong is the 2000s dot-com bubble, which corrected by 75%.

It took 15 years for those who bought the NASDAQ during the peak of the bubble to recoup their losses. Their portfolios would have had to go up by 300% from the bottom-most point for them to have been made whole.

Bigger risks

Additionally, those who seek to recoup their losses typically continue to take on larger and more aggressive bets with even greater downside risks.

Taking on greater risk only magnifies the phenomenon creating an accelerated cycle to financial ruin.

Value investing

In contrast, value investing prioritises controlling downside risk over chasing upside gains.

As the renowned investor Warren Buffett wisely advised, “The first rule of investing is to not lose money, and rule number two is to never forget rule number one.”

By avoiding catastrophic losses during downturns, you position yourself for long-term outperformance, outlasting those who fail to account for downside risk. Investing in companies trading well below their intrinsic value, with low price-to-earnings ratios and minimal debt, offers a safer route to outperform in the long run, compared to the volatile nature of market favourites that can swiftly fall out of favour.

(Anand Srinivasan is a consultant. Sashwath Swaminathan is a research assistant at Aionion Investment Services.)

Port to own plan from group plan

Siddharth Singhal

It is common practice for banks to collaborate with insurers to offer group health insurance at discounted rate. While the economic benefit draws the buyers they do not come without potential downsides. In the event of a bank merger, there is no assurance the acquiring bank will continue its partnership with the current insurer. Moreover, such plans come with room-rent caps, sub-limits. Insurers can terminate the group plan midway, leaving customers without coverage and exposing them to risks.

IRDAI has recently addressed this issue. Recently, norms were issued to port from group to individual retail coverage. This ensures personalised and flexible approach to one’s health insurance needs.

Retail plans best bet

Retail individual health policies offer several advantages compared with bank-based plans. With lifetime renewability, they ensure continuous coverage. They generally include fewer sub-limits, offer more coverage for various medical expenses. They allow room for personalisation, letting you adjust the coverage to better match specific needs. Also, the plans include add-ons such as consumables, OPD and reduced waiting period for pre-existing disease.

Following the update, consumers are showing a gradual shift towards personal policies. Of the total health insurance customers porting policies, 15% are now opting to switch from bank-based to retail individual plans, as per our insights. With these norms, the IRDAI empowered consumers by providing them with greater flexibility and control over health policies.

When choosing a new policy, evaluate specific health needs and those of family, including any chronic conditions or regular medications. Pay attention to deductibles, co-payments and coverage limits to understand potential out-of-pocket expenses. Make sure preferred healthcare providers are included in the plan’s network and prescription medications covered. Verify the plan offers adequate preventive care and emergency services. Also, research the insurer’s customer service and be aware of policy exclusions.

Porting process

Under portability, policyholders can change insurer or plan by following the IRDAI’s standard procedures. You need to request portability at least 45 days before the current policy expires. The new insurer will then provide you forms and offer details on plans. Pick the plan and submit documents. The insurer will review your information, including previous claims and medical records. Based on this, the insurer will decide on portability request, with a decision timeframe of 15 days.

Portability enables you to switch insurers or plans while retaining the benefits accumulated under your current policy, making the transition smooth and hassle-free. This allows you to change insurer without losing continuity benefits, such as waiting periods and other advantages.

This is particularly advantageous if you need urgent and costly medical care during the transition. Without portability, opting for a new policy might leave you without coverage for an initial waiting period.

Transitioning from a bank-based group policy to an individual retail policy offers significant advantages, including greater flexibility, comprehensive coverage and the ability to retain accumulated benefits. IRDAI’s recent guidelines facilitate this process, empowering clients to make more informed choices about health insurance. By evaluating specific needs and carefully considering terms of potential new policies, you can ensure continuous coverage and avoid potential gaps. Embracing changes allows for a more tailored experience, providing peace of mind and security in managing health care needs.

(The writer is Head, Health Insurance, Policybazaar.com)

Decode new age risk in investments

Venkatesh Bangaruswamy

You should have the conviction that regulatory policies are in place to address the issues and moderate these new-age risks (technology risks) associated with your investments

The recent natural disasters across the world has brought climate risk to the fore. This has also caused concern among some about overly investing in physical assets. In this article, we discuss the new-age risk associated with physical and financial assets.

Climate and technology

All investments are exposed to some risk. Investment in bank deposits runs inflation, credit and reinvestment risk. Inflation risk is the risk price levels in the economy may be higher in the future than today. So, the post-tax maturity value of your deposit may not buy products that you want to in the future because prices have increased more than you expected. Equity investments run market risk — the risk the value will slide in the future. These are some traditional risks linked to financial investments.

Physical investments such as house property and gold are exposed to the risk of theft; someone could steal your physical gold or wrongfully acquire ownership of property. In recent times, the risk associated with physical investment extends to natural disasters. A house property located near the sea, for instance, has a high risk of being impacted by a tsunami or a cyclone. Add to this, the high geopolitical risk in some countries and you may wonder if investing in physical assets are optimal. But it is not that financial assets are protected from new-age risk.

Technology has facilitated rapid growth in modern-day markets. You can set up systematic investment plan through the time horizon for life goals. This eases the pressure of having to remember to make the investment every month. Importantly, SIP moderates the regret of investing as it distances you from the investing decision. But you are exposed to technology risk viz. technology glitches can hit investment records.

Conclusion

There are risks you can moderate. You can reduce credit risk by investing in large banks. You can moderate market risk by determining the appropriate equity allocation. But you cannot easily moderate climate/ technology risks. Both these new-age risks are yet known unknowns. You understand the risks exist, but may not know if and how a technology or a climate-related event will happen that can impact investments. You should have conviction that regulatory policies are in place to address the issues and moderate these new-age risks (especially technology risk) associated with your investments.

(The author offers training programmes for individuals to manage their personal investments)

Berger Paints expands canvas at 100

Mithun Dasgupta

On August 13, as part of a strategic succession planning exercise, next generation of the promoter family — Rishma Kaur and Kanwardip Singh Dhingra — took over as the Chairperson and Vice Chairman, after siblings Kuldip Singh Dhingra and Gurbachan Singh Dhingra stepped down

1 of 2 Humble beginnings: Berger began its operations a century ago in 1923 with a single manufacturing unit in West Bengal’s Howrah district. File photo

2 of 2 We have an ambitious growth plan and a lot of expansions are likely to happen. The next ₹10,000 crore is going to happen by FY29 Abhijit Roy Berger Paints India, MD and CEO

In its 100th year, Berger Paints India is sprucing up its canvas to meet ambitious new growth targets. Next gen is taking charge, a brand new corporate office in the shape of a cylindrical paint can promises to shake up Kolkata’s skyline, and aggressive investments to ramp up production capacity have been made.

On August 13, as part of a strategic succession planning exercise, next generation of the promoter family Rishma Kaur and Kanwardip Singh Dhingra, took over as the Chairperson and Vice Chairman of the country’s second largest paint maker after siblings Kuldip Singh Dhingra and Gurbachan Singh Dhingra stepped down.

New coat

Kuldip Singh and Gurbachan Singh had acquired the storied company that had started in Kolkata in 1923 as Hadfield’s and seen many ownership changes passing from British to Indian hands.

They bought it from beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya in 1991.

The two brothers, now Chairman Emeritus and Vice Chairman Emeritus, are continuing on the board as non-executive directors to guide their children on strategic thinking and overall understanding of the business.

“The new generation will carry the mantle forward from the promoter side. And also within our company we are preparing next gen leaders,” Berger Paints India Managing Director and CEO Abhijit Roy told businessline.

The Kolkata-based company is the fourth largest paint maker in Asia. Its consolidated revenue crossed ₹11,000 crore last fiscal with about 20% market share overall in India’s fiercely competitive paint industry, thought to be in the region of ₹60,000 crore.

Speaking at the company’s 100th Annual General Meeting as the Chairman for the last time, Kuldip Singh Dhingra on August 12 said, “As we enter the next 100, we believe it will be as vibrant and illustrious as the last. We envision continuing our leadership in India’s paint sector driven by innovation, trust and excellence.”

Berger began its operations a century ago in 1923 with a single manufacturing unit in West Bengal’s Howrah district. Today, it has 29 manufacturing units and a presence across Russia, the U.K., France, Ukraine, Poland and Nepal.

Furious brushstrokes

It took the company almost 100 years to touch ₹10,000 crore of revenue, but the management is confident that the next ₹10,000 crore will come in the next six years.

“We crossed the ₹10,000-crore mark in FY23 and in FY24 we ended up with ₹11,200 crore of consolidated sales. We have an ambitious growth plan and a lot of expansions are likely to happen. The next ₹10,000 crore is going to happen by FY29,” Mr. Roy asserts.

Currently, about 80% of the company revenue comes from Decorative paints. The paints major has set in motion plan to not only expand production capacity but also ramp up its distribution network.

It is pumping in ₹2,000 on two green field projects, one in West Bengal and other in Odisha, to expand its overall production capacity by about 25-30%.

The current production capacity stands at about 1 lakh metric tonnes per month. The greenfield project at West Bengal’s Panagarh is expected to be commissioned by end-2025, while the integrated manufacturing unit in Odisha is likely to go on stream in mid-2027.

To close the large gap between it and market leader Asian Pains, Berger is working hard to strengthen its distribution networks across the country.

Currently, Asian Paints enjoys over 50% market share. “There are still a large number of areas where we don’t have adequate distribution at present, though the brand is known and it is strong. That is something which we are working on actively,” Roy said, adding the company is looking at increasing its market share to about 23% in the next six years.

Crowded gallery

However, competition is intensifying in the paints sector with players like Aditya Birla Group entering and launching products and services under its new decorative paints brand, “Birla Opus”.

The group has an ambitious target of ₹10,000 crore gross revenue within three years of full-scale operations.

Decorative segment

Commenting on it, the Berger MD said, “At this fiscal-end itself in the decorative segment alone we will be about ₹10,000 crore. So, we are very confident that our growth path will continue. We have nothing to worry about substantially. We take them [competition] very seriously.

We will ensure that our trajectory is not impacted so much. We believe that we have a very strong strategy in place.”

In a recent report on the country’s paints industry, domestic brokerage firm Nuvama Institutional Equities said, “Consumer response to new paints companies has been weak so far—not surprising given very high entry barriers.” Nuvama also said, “Despite new players’ significant resources, we do not expect them to disrupt the market—as confirmed by confidence shown by all legacy players: APL (Asian Paints), Berger, Indigo, Kansai Paints and Akzo.”

As it moves into its quirky looking office in New Town from the old Park Street building where it has been for the last 50 years, Berger is meeting the future head on with new brushstrokes.

(The writer is with The Hindu businessline)

Bold new stitch: The ‘complete man’ gets a complete makeover

Janaki Krishnan

Stitch in time: Raymond is weaving a transformative strategy, creating distinct lines of businesses. Special arrangement

Gautam Singhania, 57, must be feeling a sense of déjà vu. History is repeating itself at the century-old Raymond group as it transitions into a conglomerate.

At the cusp of the millennium, India’s best known men’s clothier was teetering on the brink of disaster. Having diversified into several unrelated areas such as cement and steel, and bleeding cash, the company was being crushed under the mounting pile of debt.

This was the state of Raymond, when a young Gautam took over as the Chairman and Managing Director in 2000. Over the next 3-4 years, he effected a turnaround by divesting all the non-core businesses that were dragging the company down. The cement business was sold to Lafarge, steel to Thyssenkrupp and its polyester business to Reliance Industries. Dues were paid and Raymond became a zero-debt company. It returned went back to its core textiles business while retaining its FMCG ventures.

And now, something remarkably similar is playing out in the group, though with none of that desperation. Mr. Singhania is back to restructuring, but this time, with a clear blueprint. He is giving the group a complete makeover by creating distinct lines of businesses that will be separate, independent entities. The clothier’s next phase of growth will be powered by real estate, lifestyle and engineering.

A year before the pandemic, the company had decided to enter the real estate sector as it had vast tracts of land — of over 100 acres — in Thane. But first, it had to reduce its debt burden. So, in 2019, the company sold 20-acres of land to Xander-backed Virtuous Retail South Asia, as part of its asset monetisation programme, to improve its cash position and reduce debt. However, more was required.

In April 2023, it sold its FMCG business — consisting of Park Avenue, Premium, KS and Kamasutra — to Godrej Consumer Products for ₹2,825 crore in an all cash deal.

Although it had good brands in its portfolio, Raymond exited the FMCG business because it did not see the ability to grow it.

However, it saw the potential for growth in the engineering business. Raymond already had a business in the segment under JK Files & Engineering. It bolstered this with the acquisition of a majority stake in Maini Precision, further expanding its auto components range with entry into electric vehicles.

Pure-play pattern

The idea for the de-mergers was identified very clearly, says Agarwal, adding, “If you have to unlock a larger shareholder value, the investor community likes to see pure-play businesses.”

Having standalone pure-play entities with focused businesses would make it easier to raise capital, attract investors and talent while the cost of raising capital would also go down.

Last year the company started the process of demerging its he lifestyle business into Raymond Lifestyle, which was completed in June this year. The company is expected to list in about two weeks. This includes all the products associated with Raymond — branded apparel, suiting, shirting, garmenting and the brands Color Plus, Parx, Park Avenue, Ethnix and the flagship Raymond brand. What the demerger achieves is to give the company the liberty to play the brand architecture and product architecture strategy in a much more aggressive and sharper way, says the CEO Sunil Kataria.

While branded fabrics are its mainstay, ready-to-wear, casuals and the recently introduced Ethnix lines are also rapidly catching up. It is experimenting with more youthful lines under its Park Avenue brand, even as it is rolling out high-end t-shirts, cargoes and making an entry into the loungewear segment as well. It also has a B2B business where it makes garments for global brands.

In the engineering business it has created two subsidiaries under Raymond Ltd — one focused on aerospace defence and the other on auto ancillaries and engineering consumables. Both will continue to remain subsidiaries until they attain a certain scale after which they may also become independent entities. Spinning off the real estate business took more time, as Singhania and the management believed that any business to be demerged into a standalone entity had to stand on its own feet.

The de-merger of the real estate business into Raymond Realty was announced in July, and the company is expected to list next year once all approvals are through.

(The writer is with The Hindu businessline)

Banks lose out to MFs despite offering higher interest

K. Ram Kumar

Annoyed by yet another cold-caller from your bank urging you, in the middle of your work-day, to park your savings in a mutual fund or pension scheme to “reap big earnings”? If it’s any comfort to you, the banks too are bitterly regretting this intrusion.

The proverbial “chickens have come home to roost” for the lenders following their relentless push to cross-sell third-party financial products — their deposit growth is worrying lagging credit growth.

Even as bank back-office executives and the third parties engaged by them worked phones to sell the non-bank products to bump up fee income, they failed to display equal enthusiasm in canvassing for deposits — the main raw material for banks to do business, namely give loans.

Even their offer of higher interest is failing to attract depositors who, having tasted good returns through MF investments in the post-COVID period, are in no rush to return to traditionally “staid” deposits.

In March 2017, when the Association of Mutual Fund Industry (AMFI) had kicked off its nationwide ‘Mutual Funds Sahi Hai’ (MFs are the right investment) promotional campaign, the industry’s assets under management (AUM) was ₹17,54,619 crore, barely 16% of bank deposits (aggregating ₹111 lakh crore).

As of March-end 2024, the MF industry’s AUM (about ₹55 lakh crore) had zoomed to about 26% of bank deposits (₹215 lakh crore). The fact that investors commonly use systematic investment plans (SIPs) to invest in MFs through monthly auto-debit of savings bank accounts added to the lenders’ pain.

In his bi-monthly monetary policy statement on June 7, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das called upon bank boards to rethink business plans, given the persisting gap between credit and deposit growth and the need to balance assets and liabilities.

The gap between credit and deposit growth of all scheduled banks has narrowed to about 280 basis points (bps) from nearly 600 bps a year ago, mainly after the RBI had in November 2023 increased the risk weights on unsecured consumer credit and bank credit to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), which moderated the credit growth in these segments.

Special drives

More recently, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked public sector bank chiefs to conduct special drives to drum up deposits, improve customer relations, and enhance service delivery.

Dipanwita Mazumdar, Economist, Bank of Baroda, points out that the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of MFs for the past 10 years is double that of bank deposits at 20.5%. Moreover, with the growing love for MF investment, the cycle of lagging bank deposit growth has become entrenched.

In an attempt to revive deposit growth, banks are likely to go beyond just interest rate hikes.

For example, Suryoday Small Finance Bank is mulling a 22-year tenor fixed deposit (FD), instead of the current 10-year limit.

“The long-tenor FD product is on the drawing board. We have to take into account interest rate risk and all that. For instance, if a depositor saves ₹50,000 per month for 10-11 years, we are examining allowing systematic withdrawals, at twice the invested amount, automatically after the 11th year for another 11 years,” says R Baskar Babu, MD and CEO.

The bank also plans to launch a savings bank account bundled with health insurance, which will offer top-up cover beyond the existing basic floater cover of ₹3-4 lakh. However, the bank does not intend to cross-sell insurance for commission.

Banking expert V Viswanathan suggested offering customers an interest rate concession, say 25 bps, on a personal loan if they operate a salary account with the bank. Perhaps it’s time for banks to redo their promotionals to assert that “Bank deposits sahi hai” (bank deposits are a good investment).

(The writer is with The Hindu businessline)

Why many prefer private debt to bank loans

Pallavi Ghosh, Phanisekhar Ponangi

Ground reality: As credit demand surges with growth in economy, banks will lose market share. reuters

There are several reasons why many borrowers prefer private credit over traditional bank credit. According to an EY report prepared in 2023 for the American Investment Council, nearly 70% of private credit providers surveyed in the U.S. in 2021 reported that their borrowers were “too small for bank syndication”. Other factors included certainty and speed (91%), higher leverage than banks will support (82%), more flexible covenants (77%), and stable relationship with a lender until loan maturity (65%). The Indian experience is no different.

Total credit deployed in the Indian economy, as of April 2024, was about $3 trillion, with bank credit accounting for 58% and the rest coming from sources such as non-banking financial companies (NBFC), higher rated corporate bonds, external commercial borrowings (ECB) and private credit. As credit demand surges with growth in the economy, banks will incrementally lose market share amid strict macro-prudential regulations and their inability to accommodate varying and, at times, riskier non-traditional needs of borrowers such as debt financing with inadequate equity capital, lower credit ratings, revenue-based financing without adequate physical collateral or flexible repayment structures. Banks and NBFCs will increasingly focus on retail lending and working capital solutions, leaving more room for private credit.

Demand growth

In FY16, the RBI introduced the asset quality review (AQR) programme, followed by prompt corrective action, leading to the consolidation of 27 public sector banks into 12 units and a write-off of $175 billion in bad loans. As banks moved away from funding private corporates, private credit stepped in to cater to both stressed borrowers and investors chasing high yields. This also suggests that policymakers prefer to insulate taxpayers from the credit risk that accompanies a growing economy.

However, regulators do remain vigilant to the risks induced by private credit. If private credit refinances the debt of large borrowers that struggle to access bank credit, it would lower the average quality of investments. Moreover, easily available, even if expensive, debt may have economic ramifications, given the temptation for the borrower to remain under-capitalised in the short to medium term, on the back of private credit, in order to raise equity at higher valuations later on.

Factors favouring the deployment of private credit include the enactment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the creation of the National Company Law Tribunal and the National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited, a favourable tax environment for investors, AIF regulations from the Securities and Exchange Board of India, and facilitation of foreign investors through the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City in Ahmedabad. But there is equal need for guardrails against the build-up of excesses both for borrowers and investors.

(The writers are co-founders of Mavenark, a Mumbai-based investment banking and asset management services firm)

Foreign

- No one will be discriminated on the basis of their religion in Bangladesh, says Yunus

- Deluge in Indonesia

- Strikes in Lebanon ‘not the final word’, warns Netanyahu

- China and Philippines clash in South China Sea yet again

- Telegram CEO held at Paris airport as Russia slams arrest

- Harris campaign says it raised $540 million in just over a month

- 12 pilgrims headed for Iran among 36 dead in Pakistan bus crashes

- Syrian suspect has confessed to knife rampage: German police

- UN 'concerned' by Taliban’s new morality law in Afghanistan

- Efforts to restore ties with Turkiye have yielded no results, says Assad

- China slams latest round of sanctions from U.S.

- NASA deems use of Boeing capsule risky, set to keep 2 astronauts in space till Feb.

- After a traumatic fortnight, media in Bangladesh slowly returning to normal

- Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh mark anniversary of their exodus

- Down memory lane

- Mobile pools offer relief to children in north Syria camps

No one will be discriminated on the basis of their religion in Bangladesh, says Yunus

Kallol Bhattacherjee

DHAKA

Gradual return: Bangladesh’s metro railine in Dhaka resumed on Sunday more than a month after it was closed due to protests.AFPRAHMAN ASAD

Citizens of Bangladesh will not be discriminated against on the basis of their religion or political beliefs, Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, said on Sunday. Delivering a televised address ahead of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Mr. Yunus said his government would deliver on the promises made to the students and the common people who overthrew the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We will not discriminate against anyone for following a different religion or for having a different political opinion. We want to include all members of the country into one family,” Mr. Yunus said speaking in Bangla and added, “Religious minorities, tribes and other marginalised communities are equal citizens of the ‘new’ Bangladesh and they will have equal rights,” Mr. Yunus said.

Symbolic significance

The speech telecast at 7:30 pm on Sunday is symbolically significant as it comes in the wake of attacks against places of worship and property belonging to minority religious groups in Bangladesh. Sri Krishna Janmashtami along with Bijoya Dashami, Christmas, Good Friday, and Buddha Purnima are some of the religious events of minority groups that Bangladesh marks as national holidays.

Preparation for Janmashtami is underway in Hindu temples and institutions in Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh. Programmes are also scheduled to be held by Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee at the Dhakeshwari National Temple which is the most important Hindu religious institution in Dhaka. This is expected to be followed by a special Janmashtami procession in the city.

Bangladesh’s communal harmony had become the focus after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. After Ms. Hasina fled the country in a military aircraft, there were reports of attacks against minority religious groups that drew attention from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who mentioned the matter in his August 15 speech from the Red Fort in Delhi. Protection of minority rights was discussed between Mr. Yunus and Mr. Modi on August 16.

Mr. Yunus also addressed for the first time the question of the tenure of the caretaker government and said that the caretaker dispensation will be in charge for as long as the people of Bangladesh want them.

Poll date

“The date of the election will be decided through a political consultation. We will leave when people want us to leave,” Mr. Yunus said indicating that the interim government will be around till a transparent election is held in the country.

Appeal to agitators

Ever since taking over on August 7, the Yunus-led interim administration has been unable to contain the demonstrations and protests that have erupted across Dhaka making daily activities difficult for lakhs of people. He appealed to the agitators to roll back their protests and go home saying, “We have noticed that you are holding protests near our offices that are creating hurdles in implementing our tasks. Please let us perform our duties without hurdles.”

A team from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is currently visiting Bangladesh to discuss the violence that took place during and after the uprising that led to the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina. The team is being led by Rory Mungoven, Chief of the Asia-Pacific region at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Along with the Hasina government’s excess use of state power to crush the uprising, the visiting team is also expected to look into the allegations of communal violence.

Deluge in Indonesia

Rescue teams and residents search for victims buried in mud after a flash flood hit the Indonesian village of Rua located at the foot of Mount Gamalama in Ternate on Sunday. Thirteen died as torrential rain caused flash floods that swept away residential areas.AFPAZZAM RISQULLAH

Strikes in Lebanon ‘not the final word’, warns Netanyahu

Agence France-Presse

Jerusalem

Israeli PM says the military destroyed thousands of short-range rockets intended to harm civilians ; media reports indicate that Hezbollah intended to strike Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv

Perils of war: A residential building that was damaged in Hezbollah’s strike on northern Israel on Sunday.REUTERSAMMAR AWAD

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Sunday’s strikes in Lebanon were “not the final word” in his country’s military campaign against Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

“We are striking Hezbollah with surprising, crushing blows... This is another step towards changing the situation in the north and safely returning our residents to their homes. And, I repeat, this is not the final word,” Mr. Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting.

He said the military destroyed thousands of “short-range rockets, all of which were intended to harm our civilians and forces in the Galilee”.

“Additionally, the IDF (Israeli military) intercepted all the drones that Hezbollah launched at a strategic target in central Israel,” he said, without identifying what the target was.

Israeli media however reported the target Hezbollah aimed to strike was the headquarters of the Israeli Mossad spy agency near Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said the main target of his group was Glilot, “the main Israeli military intelligence base” near Tel Aviv.

Israel’s military said there were “no hits” on that base. Israeli media reported that Glilot hosts the headquarters of the country’s Mossad spy agency.

Israeli authorities declared a 48-hour state of emergency but later relaxed most of the restrictions. There was some disruption to flights in Israel and Lebanon.

China and Philippines clash in South China Sea yet again

Reuters

MANILA/BEIJING

Flash point: A Chinese coast Guard ship colliding with a Philippine vessel near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on Sunday.AFPHANDOUT

The Philippines and China clashed in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sunday over what Manila said was a resupply mission for fishermen, the latest in a series of sea and air confrontations in the strategic waterway.

The incident overshadows efforts by both nations to rebuild trust and better manage disputes after months of confrontations, including a violent clash in June where a Filipino sailor lost a finger.

The Philippines accused China of “aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres” to block the resupply mission, while China’s coast guard said it had taken “control measures” against a vessel that had “illegally” entered the waters and repeatedly approached Chinese ships in a dangerous manner.

Use of water cannons

In the incident near the Sabina Shoal, the Philippine South China Sea task force said Chinese vessels rammed and used water cannons against a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries ship transporting food, fuel and medical supplies for Filipino fishermen.

China asserts sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea. An international arbitral tribunal in 2016 ruled Beijing’s claim had no basis under international law, a landmark victory for the Philippines, which filed the case..

Telegram CEO held at Paris airport as Russia slams arrest

Associated Press

PARIS

Pavel Durov

The founder and CEO of the popular encrypted messaging service Telegram was detained at a Paris airport, French media reported Sunday.

Pavel Durov was detained at the Paris Le Bourget airport on Saturday evening after landing in France from Azerbaijan, according to broadcasters LCI and TF1.

French prosecutors declined to comment on Mr. Durov’s arrest when contacted by The Associated Press on Sunday, in line with regulations during an ongoing investigation.

French media reported that Mr. Durov, 39, was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by France based on allegations that his encrypted platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and allowing the sharing of content linked to sexual exploitation of minors.

Western governments have often criticised Telegram for lack of content moderating on the messaging service.

Russian government officials expressed outrage at Mr. Durov’s arrest, with some highlighting what they said was the West’s double standards on freedom of speech.

Harris campaign says it raised $540 million in just over a month

Agence France-Presse

Washington

Kamala Harris’s U.S. presidential campaign said on Sunday that it has raised more than half a billion dollars in just over a month, “a record for any campaign in history.”

The eyewatering amount of $540 million, raised since Ms. Harris launched her campaign after President Joe Biden dropped out of the White House race on July 21 and endorsed her, comes as she and Republican rival Donald Trump embark on the final 10-week sprint to election day on November 5.

Mr. Trump, whose campaign was thrown when Mr. Biden stepped aside, reported having $327 million cash on hand at the start of August.

Just before Ms. Harris took to the stage at the DNC on Thursday to accept her party’s nomination, “we officially crossed the $500 million mark,” campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a memo.

“Immediately after her speech, we saw our best fundraising hour since launch day,” she continued.

“In just over a month since we launched our campaign, Team Harris-Walz raised $540 million — a record for any campaign in history.”

One-third of those donations were from first-time contributors, O’Malley Dillon said.

12 pilgrims headed for Iran among 36 dead in Pakistan bus crashes

AFPAAMIR QURESHI

At least 36 people were killed in two separate bus accidents in Pakistan on Sunday, including 12 pilgrims who had been trying to reach Iran. Road accidents with high fatalities are common in Pakistan. On Saturday, the bodies of 28 pilgrims who died in a bus crash in Iran were returned to Pakistan. afp

Syrian suspect has confessed to knife rampage: German police

REUTERSHEIKO BECKER

The German police said on Sunday that a 26-year-old Syrian man has given himself up and confessed to killing three persons and wounding eight others in a knife rampage at a street festival. Four of the wounded are in a serious condition. German prosecutors said they had launched a “terrorist” investigation into the incident. afp

UN ‘concerned’ by Taliban’s new morality law in Afghanistan

REUTERSSAYED HASSIB

The UN mission in Afghanistan said on Sunday it was “concerned” about a morality law recently ratified by the Taliban regime, criticising in particular restrictions on women. The Taliban had announced the codification of a law with 35 articles detailing restrictions based on their strict interpretation of Islamic law. afp

Efforts to restore ties with Turkiye have yielded no results, says Assad

APBASSEM TELLAWI

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday that efforts to mend ties with Turkiye had so far brought no tangible results. “The initiatives did not yield any results despite the seriousness and genuine keenness of mediators,” he said in a speech to parliament, referring to conciliation efforts by Russia, Iran and Iraq. afp

China slams latest round of sanctions from U.S.

Agence France-Presse

Beijing

China is “strongly dissatisfied” and “firmly opposed” to fresh U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies over ties to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Commerce Ministry said on Sunday.

“China urges the U.S. to immediately stop its wrong practices and will take measures to safeguard the interests of Chinese companies,” a ministry spokesperson said.

Washington on Friday imposed sweeping sanctions against almost 400 individuals and companies it believes are aiding Russia’s war in Ukraine. These include companies in China involved in shipping microelectronics and machine tools to Russia.

NASA deems use of Boeing capsule risky, set to keep 2 astronauts in space till Feb.

Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL

The seasoned pilots have been stuck at the International Space Station since June after a cascade of thruster failure and helium leaks marred the test flight of the Starliner capsule; space agency decides to try taking the capsule back on autopilot mode and let the pilots wait for next SpaceX taxi flight

Stuck in space: Boeing’s Starliner capsule docked at the International Space Station.AP

The U.S. space agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), decided on Saturday that it is too risky to bring two astronauts back to earth in Boeing’s troubled new Starliner capsule, and said they will have to wait until next year for a ride home with SpaceX. What should have been a week-long test flight for the pair will now last more than eight months.

The seasoned pilots have been stuck at the International Space Station since the beginning of June. A cascade of vexing thruster failures and helium leaks in the new capsule marred their trip to the space station, and they ended up in a holding pattern as engineers conducted tests and debated what to do about the flight back.

After almost three months, the decision finally came down from NASA’s highest ranks on Saturday. Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will come back in a SpaceX capsule in February 2025. Their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt to return on autopilot with a touchdown in the New Mexico desert.

As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey.

“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision “is a result of a commitment to safety”.

Mr. Nelson said lessons learned from NASA’s two space shuttle accidents played a role. This time, he noted, open dialogue was encouraged rather than crushed.

“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator.

Boeing’s plight

It was a blow to Boeing, adding to the safety concerns plaguing the company on its airplane side. Boeing had counted on Starliner’s first crew trip to revive the troubled spacecraft programme after years of delays and ballooning costs.

The company had insisted Starliner was safe based on all the recent thruster tests both in space and on the ground.

Boeing did not participate in Saturday’s news conference by NASA, but released a statement: “Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft.” The company said it is preparing the spacecraft “for a safe and successful return.”

Rand Corp.’s Jan Osburg, a senior engineer who specialises in aerospace and defence, said NASA made the right choice. “But the U.S. is still left with egg on its face due to the Starliner design issues that should have been caught earlier.”

Mr. Wilmore, 61, and Ms. Williams, 58, are both retired Navy captains with previous long-duration spaceflight experience. During their lone orbital news conference last month, the astronauts said they had trust in the thruster testing being conducted.

Mr. Wilmore’s wife, Deanna, said she and their daughters, along with family and friends, “were praying for a safe return on whatever spacecraft that may be.”

Flight operations director Norm Knight said he talked to the astronauts on Saturday and they fully support the decision to postpone their return.

The SpaceX capsule currently parked at the space station is reserved for the four residents who have been there since March. They will return in late September, their routine six-month stay extended a month by the Starliner dilemma. NASA said it would be unsafe to squeeze two more into the capsule, except in an emergency.

So Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams will wait for SpaceX’s next taxi flight. It is due to launch in late September with two astronauts instead of the usual four. NASA is yanking two to make room for Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams on the return flight in late February.

Starliner’s woes began long before its latest flight.

Bad software fouled the first test flight without a crew in 2019, prompting a do-over in 2022. Then parachute and other issues cropped up, including a helium leak in the capsule’s propellant system that nixed a launch attempt in May. The leak eventually was deemed to be isolated and small enough to pose no concern. But more leaks sprouted following liftoff, and five thrusters also failed.

All but one of those small thrusters restarted in flight. But engineers were perplexed by ground testing that showed a thruster seal swelling and obstructing a propellant line. They theorised the seals in orbit may have expanded and then reverted to their normal size.

With all the uncertainty about how the thrusters might perform, “There was too much risk for the crew,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew programme manager, told presspersons.

These 28 thrusters are vital. Besides needed for space station rendezvous, they keep the capsule pointed in the right direction at flight’s end as bigger engines steer the craft out of orbit. Coming in crooked could result in catastrophe.

With the Columbia disaster still fresh in many minds — the shuttle broke apart during reentry in 2003, killing all seven aboard — NASA made an extra effort to embrace open debate over Starliner’s return capability.

Despite Saturday’s decision, NASA is not giving up on Boeing. Mr. Nelson said he is “100%” certain that Starliner will fly again.

NASA went into its commercial crew programme a decade ago wanting two competing U.S. companies ferrying astronauts in the post-shuttle era. Boeing won the bigger contract: more than $4 billion, compared with SpaceX’s $2.6 billion.

With station supply runs already under its belt, SpaceX aced its first of now nine astronaut flights in 2020, while Boeing got bogged down in design flaws that set the company back more than $1 billion. NASA officials still hold out hope that Starliner’s problems can be corrected in time for another crew flight in another year or so.

After a traumatic fortnight, media in Bangladesh slowly returning to normal

Kallol Bhattacherjee

DHAKA

Fine print: People read newspapers pasted on a wall in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 7. APFatima Tuj Johora

On August 19, a group of men arrived at the East West Media Group’s office in the heart of Dhaka and indulged in vandalism. They also hurt a female journalist and threatened those present.

The media house in the Bashundhara neighbourhood is home to several leading newspaper and TV brands in Bangladesh which had navigated Sheikh Hasina’s iron-fisted media and social media policies and had managed to thrive during the past decade and a half. The expectation from the student-led uprising was that it would strengthen the civil liberty and the attack came as a shocker which drew protest from all sections of the post-Hasina interim administration. The last fortnight has not been easy for the Bangladesh media.

Revolution was being telecast throughout August 5 when viewers worldwide noticed that Ekattor TV had gone missing from YouTube.

‘Flip side’ of freedom

That afternoon of freedom also had a dark side and several TV channels were raided by trouble makers who accused these channels of being pro-Hasina. Ekattor TV’s office in the Baridhara neighbourhood was vandalised and burnt down and mob took over Samay TV and broke furniture forcing the channel to abandon telecasting. ATN Bangla in the heart of the busy Karwan Bazar was also attacked though it continued to functionthroughout the chaotic hours. Within a day, eight channels were attacked and dozens were intimidated. Fortunately, the journalists bounced back.

Right in the busy Karwan Bazar which is the scene for daily protests by workers, students and political workers, is the Rainy Roof restaurant on the 12th floor of a building that overlooks the busy junction below.

It is here that professional journalists from the leading channels and publications met every night of the last fortnight after work and plotted a course of recovery in the backdrop of the change of government. They were determined to tell the story of the fall of a government in their country but were not willing to perish in the process.

As a result of the mobilisation of professional journalists from the leading channels of Dhaka, the media is slowly getting back.

The mics of Ekattor TV and Samay TV have staged a comeback as the editorial lines are being reinvented and as the studios are being redecorated with new monitors and cameras.

“We have been told that we should consider that the previous studio was lost in a natural disaster and that we are now re-emerging from that traumatic event,” a journalist with the Ekattor TV said.

“I tried to do a professional work as a journalist and exposed corruption in the Hasina government and as a result had legal cases launched against me. We survived those tough times and are hoping that the media scene will see through the current era of transition,” Haider Ali, Head of Investigative Cell of Kaler Kantha, a prominent newspaper of the Bashundhara Group which was targeted by miscreants earlier, said.

As Mr. Ali discussed the media scene, sources, young students, and professionals walked in with stories that they were afraid to reveal to the media earlier this year when Ms. Hasina had won the controversial election.

Digital Security Act

One of the main reasons that prevented corruption stories from being broken was the 2018 Digital Security Act of the Hasina-led government that threatened media freedom as exposing corruption was equated with criminal defamation. In the last phase of the Hasina-led government, Bangladesh was pushed into an Internet blackout.

Despite the blackout, newspapers like Prothom Alo, Daily Star, Kaler Kantha, New Age, and channels like Jamuna TV and News 24 kept Bangladesh and the world informed about the crackdown against students and other enraged protesters. Having reported the revolution, the media in Bangladesh like the rest of the country are coming to terms with the new political reality and getting ready for a new chapter.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh mark anniversary of their exodus

Associated Press

COX’S BAZAR

Rohingya refugees gather in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Sunday to mark the anniversary of their fleeing from Myanmar.REUTERSMokammel Mridha

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar who live in sprawling camps in Bangladesh marked the seventh anniversary of their mass exodus on Sunday, demanding safe return to Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

The refugees gathered in an open field at Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar district carrying banners and festoons reading “Hope is Home” and “We Rohingya are the citizens of Myanmar,” defying the rain on a day that is marked as “Rohingya Genocide Day.”

On August 25, 2017, hundreds of thousands of refugees started crossing the border to Bangladesh on foot and by boats amid indiscriminate killings and other violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Myanmar had launched a brutal crackdown following attacks by an insurgent group on guard posts. The scale, organisation and ferocity of the operation led to accusations from the international community, including the UN, of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Then-Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered border guards to open the border, eventually allowing more than 7,00,000 refugees to take shelter in the Muslim-majority nation.

But in the recent past, the situation in Rakhine State has become more volatile after the Arakan Army started fighting against Myanmar’s security forces. The renewed chaos forced more refugees to flee toward Bangladesh and elsewhere in a desperate move to save their lives.

As the protests took place in camps in Bangladesh on Sunday, the UN and other rights groups expressed their concern over the ongoing chaos in Myanmar.

UNICEF said that the agency received alarming reports that civilians, particularly children and families, were being targeted or caught in the crossfire, resulting in deaths and severe injuries, making humanitarian access in Rakhine extremely challenging.

Down memory lane

Victory parade: People dressed in wartime uniforms drive a jeep in Paris on Sunday during a reenactment marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Paris from the Nazia during the Second World War.AFPOLYMPIA DE MAISMONT

Mobile pools offer relief to children in north Syria camps

Agence France-Presse

Kafr Naseh

A displaced Syrian child smiles as others play in a mobile swimming pool set up in the Kafr Naseh camp.AFPAAREF WATAD

In a run-down north Syria camp, children displaced by the country’s 13-year war played and splashed in volunteer-run mobile swimming pools that provided much-needed relief from the sweltering summer heat.

Volunteers from the Smile Younited charity barely had any time to finish setting up the three pools in a busy square surrounded by tents before children of all ages jumped in, dancing along to songs blasted on loudspeakers. The pools at Kafr Naseh camp, in the Aleppo countryside, provided rare entertainment to young boys and girls whose lives have been scarred by war and poverty.

Mohammad Ezzedine, 38, said he was thrilled to see his five children so happy.

“I hope they will come back every week... because it is hot and the kids need to distract themselves and have fun” because “they live under pressure inside a confined camp,” he said.

The children “had never been to a pool before. The most we could do was put them in a plastic tub and fill it with water” when it is available to cool down in the summer, Mr. Ezzedine added.

More than five million people, most of them displaced, live in areas outside government control in Syria’s north and northwest, the UN says, and many rely on aid to survive. Residents of Kafr Naseh camp say they have not had access to free, clean water in a year and a half.

As the conflict drags on, a lack of international funding has severely undercut the provision of basic services including water, waste disposal and sanitation in displacement camps outside government control in Syria’s north and northwest.

Sports

- Djokovic eyes a Slam record, Sinner faces doping fallout

- Aronyak beats Arjun, moves to the sole second spot

- Chennai Lions wins needle clash against Dabang Delhi

- Barter zooms to victory in second & third races

- Chelsea romps past a hapless Wolves

- Inspired Bangladesh secures first Test victory over Pakistan

- Happy that this win will give Bangladesh a bit of a smile: Shanto

- Hull replaces injured Wood in England squad for last two Tests

- Fatima named Pakistan skipper for Women’s T20 World Cup

- Flintoff and Knott bowl Australia-A to 45-run win

- India u-17 football team goes down to Indonesia

- Brilliant Norris consigns Verstappen to his first-ever loss at home

- Alcaraz says he is fit after injury scare during training

- Natasha and Aanya register two wins

- Inter-Continental Cup in Hyderabad from Sept. 3

- SnapShots

- Mayweather goes the distance against Gotti III

- Shuttler Tanvi Patri clinches Asian under-15 crown

- Ingebrigtsen and Duplantis break world records

- Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City to clash in season opener

- India clinches silver at Asian surfing championships

- Lakshya heads to Austria for physical assessment

- Alex Lanier clinches Japan Open badminton title

- For Shreyas Iyer, the time to walk the talk is now

Djokovic eyes a Slam record, Sinner faces doping fallout

Agence France-Presse

NEW YORK

The 37-year-old Serb can become oldest Open era champion and also pull clear of Court for most Majors won; Alcaraz would like to put the disappointment of the Olympics behind; women’s champion Gauff has to contend with dip in form

On a high: Djokovic buoyed by his Olympic success would be keen to claim his first Major of the year.Getty Images

Novak Djokovic, fuelled by an emotional Olympic triumph, has new Grand Slam records in his sights at the US Open, where title rival Jannik Sinner hopes to shake off a doping controversy.

Defending champion Djokovic can become the oldest Open era champion at the tournament if he secures a fifth title, a record he would share with Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.

The 37-year-old would also move to 25 Grand Slam triumphs, taking him clear of the 24 he currently shares with Margaret Court.

Critical time

The final Slam of the year comes at a critical time for Djokovic. This year he was succeeded as Australian Open champion by Sinner who also relieved him of his world number one ranking.

Carlos Alcaraz took his French Open title with the Spanish crowd-pleaser then sweeping Djokovic off court in a one-sided Wimbledon final.

However, Djokovic, returned to the clay courts of Roland Garros to stun Alcaraz in the Olympic final in what he Saturday called “the greatest achievement and greatest highlight of my career overall, winning the gold for Serbia.”

Sinner, meanwhile, arrives after an emotionally draining doping investigation, in which he escaped a lengthy ban after officials accepted his explanation that the banned substance entered his system as a result of contamination from a support team member.

Alcaraz, who won his first Major at the US Open in 2022, was badly bruised by his defeat to Djokovic in the Olympic final.

Defending women’s champion Coco Gauff has endured a worrying dip in form in recent weeks, raising doubts over whether she could become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to successfully defend her crown.

A stormy third-round exit from the Olympics was followed by early defeats in Toronto and Cincinnati.

Five-time Major winner and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion, made the Cincinnati semifinals where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and runner-up to Gauff in New York last year, is another contender in a wide-open field that also features Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova and Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen.

Aronyak beats Arjun, moves to the sole second spot

P.K. Ajith Kumar

GURUGRAM

Stalemate: Ajay Karthikeyan, right, held fourth seed Diptayan Ghosh. P.K. Ajith Kumar

Signing peace may have been the trend on the top boards on Sunday, but Aronyak Ghosh bucked it. And his win over Arjun Adireddy has made the closing stage of the National chess championship a bit more interesting as he brought down the lead of fellow-Kolkatan Surya Shekhar Ganguly to just half-a-point.

The top seed, who had to settle for a draw for a second successive day, is on eight points, with only two rounds to go. Aronyak is in the sole second position with 7.5 points.

They are followed on seven points by 13 players, including seeds third to fifth — S.P. Sethuraman, Diptayan Ghosh and Karthik Venkataraman.

The ninth-seeded Aronyak, who faced Slav Defence from his younger rival, won in 63 moves with his pawn poised for promotion.

On the first board, Sethuraman opted for an Italian Game against Ganguly. Both the seasoned GMs went on to find accurate moves nearly all the time and reached an equal ending featuring rook, knight and opposite-coloured bishops. They agreed to split the point on the 31st move.

On the second board, the impressive Ajay Karthikeyan held Diptayan after employing Semi-Slav Defence. The game was drawn in 23 moves following the repetition of the same position.

Important results (ninth round): S.P. Sethuraman (PSPB) 7 drew with Surya Shekhar Ganguly (PSPB) 8; Diptayan Ghosh (RSPB) 7 drew with Ajay Karthikeyan (TN) 7; M.R. Lalith Babu (AP) 7 drew with Karthik Venkataraman (AP) 7; Aronyak Ghosh (RSPB) 7.5 bt Arjun Adireddy (TS) 6.5; Sriram Jha (LIC) 7 drew with Himal Gusain (RSPB) 7; P. Iniyan (TN) 6 lost to Sammed Shete (Mah) 7; J. Deepan Chakravarthy (RSPB) 6.5 drew with Sankalp Gupta (Mah) 6.5; Mitrabha Guha (RSPB) 7 bt G. Akaash (TN) 6; N.R. Vignesh (RSPB) 6.5 drew with Neelotpal Das (PSPB) 6.5; Deep Sengupta (PSPB) 6 lost to S. Nitin (RSPB) 7; Neelash Saha (RSPB) 7 Viani D’cunha (Kar) 6; Uktal Sahoo (Odi) 7 C.R.G. Krishna (RSPB) 6; P. Shyaam Nikhil (RSPB) 7 bt B. Vignesh (TN) 6; S. Ravi Teja (AP) 6 drew with Swapnil Dhopade (Mah) 6.5; Abhijeet Gupta (PSPB) 6 bt Esshan Wadhawan (Del) 6.

Chennai Lions wins needle clash against Dabang Delhi

K. Keerthivasan

CHENNAI

In fine form: Sharath Kamal bought his A game to the table against Levenko. R. RAGU

After their losses in the opening ties the other day, Chennai Lions and Dabang Delhi were in no position to lower their guards. When the two teams took on each other at the Ultimate Table Tennis League here on Sunday, it was expected to be a no-holds barred fight.

And it largely turned out to be so. But it was the home side, which emerged triumphant as it defeated Dabang 8-7 to provide some joy to the spectators who had turned up in quite a large number.

Chennai relies on the energy and direction of its captain Sharath Kamal. The veteran paddler didn’t disappoint as he brought his A-game to defeat Andreas Levenko by two games to one in the opening men’s singles match.

When his backahand drives and forehand topspins work, Sharath is a delight to watch. It was one such day.

Sakura Mori of Chennai attacked relentlessly on both flanks to overcome Orawan Paranang 2-1 in the women’s singles. Sharath then combined wonderfully well with Sakura to win the mixed doubles match against Sathiyan and Orawan 2-1.

Powerhouse

Sakura is a powerhouse of energy. More than Sharath, it was the Japanese player’s consistency and accuracy that helped the team win.

Chennai’s Jules Rolland versus Dabang’s Sathiyan was going to be evenly matched given the attacking styles of the paddlers. Rolland prevailed 2-1 to get the requisite eight points for Chennai.

In the other tie, Jaipur Patriots scripted its first win of the season, outwitting U Mumba 9-6. Leading by seven points to 5, Jaipur needed just one point (one game) to close out the tie in the fifth and deciding match.

The results:

Chennai Lions bt Dabang Delhi8-7 (Sharath Kamal bt Andreas Levenko 11-5, 11-8, 8-11; Sakura Mori bt Orawan Paranang 11-10, 11-8, 4-11; Sharath & Sakura bt Sathiyan & Paranang 11-6, 11-6, 9-11; Jules Rolland bt Sathiyan 11-7, 11-9, 8-11; Poymantee Baisya lost to Diya Chitale 9-11, 7-11, 5-11).

Jaipur Patriots bt U Mumba9-6 (Cho Seungmin bt Quadri Aruna 11-9, 11-8, 11-5; Suthasini Sawettabut bt Maria Xiao 9-11, 11-5, 11-10; Cho & Nithyashree Mani lost to Manav & Xiao 11-4, 3-11, 9-11; S. F. R. Snehit lost to Manav Thakkar 2-11, 11-7, 11-8); Nithyashree bt Sutirtha Mukherjee 11-7, 11-8, 5-11).

Barter zooms to victory in second & third races

S. Dipak Ragav

Chennai

Joyful mood: Barter celebrates after his win in the second F4 race.M. VEDHAN

Hugh Barter put the disappointment of the first day behind him as he romped home to victory in the second and third races of the opening round of the Formula 4 Indian Championship at the Madras International Circuit on Sunday.

The 18-year-old lost the first race on Saturday when a fuel pump issue forced his retirement on the final lap while comfortably in lead. The retirement put him 15th for the reverse-grid race-2 on Sunday.

However, Barter sliced through the field like a hot knife through butter, quickly picking off his rivals. The Aussie needed only 12 minutes to make up 14 places and take the lead when he passed Isaac Demellweek, who finished second.

The Indian duo of Divy Nandan and Veer Seth were involved in a tense battle for the final podium finish, but the former managed to keep his nose ahead and climb onto the rostrum.

In the final F4 race of the weekend, Barter cruised to another victory ahead of South African Aqil Alibhai and India’s Ruhaan Alva, who took his second podium of the weekend in this category.

Meanwhile, in the IRL, Alister Yoong, son of former F1 driver Alex Yoong, dominated proceedings with a lights-to-flag win for Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers. India’s Akhil Rabindra took second ahead of Gabriela Jilkova.

The results (all race 25mins+1 lap): IRL Race-2: 1. Alister Yoong (Goa Aces JA Racing) 27m:15.226s; 2. Akhil Rabindra (Hyderabad Blackbirds) (27:19.810); 3. Gabriela Jilkova (Goa Aces JA Racing) (27:35.127).

F4 Indian: Race-2: 1. Hugh Barter (Godspeed Kochi) (27:06.573); 2. Isaac Demellweek (Chennai Turbo Riders) (27:25.297); 3. Divy Nandan (Ahmedabad Apex Racers) (27:29.102).

Race-3: 1. Barter (27:06.536); 2. Aqil Alibhai (Hyderabad Blackbirds) (27:10.134); 3. Ruhaan Alva (Shirachi Rarh Bengal Tigers) (27:11.549).

Chelsea romps past a hapless Wolves

Agence France-Presse

London

Hat-trick hero: Madueke scores Chelsea’s fifth against Wolves.Getty Images

Noni Madueke hit a hat-trick as Chelsea crushed Wolves 6-2 to give Enzo Maresca his first Premier League win as Blues boss, while Newcastle rescued a controversial 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Sunday.

Harry Kane dragged Bayern Munich to a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Wolfsburg on Sunday in new manager Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga debut.

Real beats Valladolid

Spanish champion Real Madrid earned a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in the La Liga on Sunday as Kylian Mbappe made his Santiago Bernabeu bow without finding the net. The French striker played at home for the first time in a Madrid shirt but was largely frustrated by Valladolid’s defence.

The results: Premier League: Bournemouth 1 (Tavernier 37) drew with Newcastle 1 (Gordon 76); Wolves 2 (Cunha 27, Larsen 45+6) lost to Chelsea 6 (Jackson 2, Palmer 45, Madueke 49, 58, 63, Felix 80); Liverpool 2 (Diaz 13, Salah 70) bt Brentford 0.

La Liga: Real Madrid 3 (Valverde 50, Diaz 88, Endrick 90+6) bt Real Valladolid 0.

Bundesliga: Wolfsburg 2 (Majer 47-pen, 55) lost to Bayern Munich 3 (Musiala 19, Kaminski 65-og, Gnabry 82).

Serie A: Fiorentina 0 drew with Venezia 0; Torino 2 (Ilic 31, Adams 50) bt Atalanta 1 (Retegui 26).

On Saturday: LaLiga: Barcelona 2 (Yamal 24, Lewandowski 75) bt Athletic Bilbao 1 (Sancet 42-pen); Espanyol 0 lost to Real Sociedad 1 (Kubo 80); Getafe 0 drew with Rayo Vallecano 0.

Serie A: Inter Milan 2 (Darmian 5, Calhanoglu 70-pen) bt Lecce 0; Monza 0 lost to Genoa 1 (Pinamonti 45+7).

Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund 2 (Gittens 72, 90+3) bt Eintracht Frankfurt 0.

Inspired Bangladesh secures first Test victory over Pakistan

APAnjum Naveed

Bangladesh dismissed Pakistan for 146 in its second innings to set up a 10-wicket victory in Rawalpindi on Sunday. This was Bangladesh’s first win over Pakistan in Test cricket.

The scores: Pakistan 448/6 decl. & 146 in 55.5 overs (Rizwan 51, Mehidy 4/21) lost to Bangladesh 565 & 30/0 in 6.3 overs. PoM: Mushfiqur.

Happy that this win will give Bangladesh a bit of a smile: Shanto

AFPFAROOQ NAEEM

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hasan Shanto described his team’s first Test win over Pakistan as a “special one”. “It was a very important win for us because last month we had a difficult situation in Bangladesh. There are still some problems there but we support each other and I am happy this win gives them a little bit of a smile.”

Hull replaces injured Wood in England squad for last two Tests

X@englandcricket

England’s Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against Sri Lanka after scans confirmed a right thigh muscle strain, team management said on Sunday. Leicestershire’s 20-year-old left-arm pacer Josh Hull has received his first senior call-up to replace Wood in the squad for the remaining two Tests.

Fatima named Pakistan skipper for Women’s T20 World Cup

X@TheRealPCB

Fatima Sana has been named Pakistan captain, replacing Nida Dar, for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in UAE from Oct. 3 to 20. Nida is going through a lean patch and the team under her suffered T20I and ODI series defeats in England before making a semifinal exit in Women’s Asia Cup. However, she has been retained in the squad.

Flintoff and Knott bowl Australia-A to 45-run win

Press Trust of India

Gold Coast

Incisive bowling by Tess Flintoff (three for 39) and Charli Knott (three for 34) helped Australia-A defeat India-A by 45 runs in the one-off women’s Test here on Sunday.

Chasing 289, India-A was bundled out for 243 as it managed to add just 94 to its overnight score of 149 for six on day four.

The scores: Australia-A 212 and 260 in 92 overs bt India-A 184 and 243 in 92.5 overs (Shubha 45, Uma 47).

India u-17 football team goes down to Indonesia

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI

Levis Zangminlun’s second-half strike was not enough as India lost to Indonesia 1-3 in the first of the two away under-17 football friendlies in Gianyar on Sunday. The hosts scored through Evandra Florasta (14th minute), Fandi Ahmad (50th) and Mierza Firjatullah (62nd).

Brilliant Norris consigns Verstappen to his first-ever loss at home

Reuters

ZANDVOORT

The McLaren driver, who posted the second win of his career, cuts the championship lead to 70 points behind the Red Bull ace; Ferrari’s Leclerc third

Great feeling! Norris holds aloft the winner’s trophy as local hero Verstappen looks on.APPeter Dejong

McLaren’s Lando Norris ended Max Verstappen’s unbeaten home record with a commanding Dutch Grand Prix victory and second win of his Formula One career to breathe new life into the championship on Sunday.

Red Bull’s triple World Champion finished 22.896 seconds behind, after seizing the lead at the start but being passed on the 18th of 72 laps, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc taking the chequered flag in third place.

It was the first time since the race returned to the calendar in 2021 that Verstappen had not triumphed at Zandvoort and extended his losing streak this season to five races.

His lead over Norris was cut to 70 points after 15 of a record 24 rounds, with McLaren also cutting Red Bull’s increasingly vulnerable advantage in the constructors’ championship to 30.

“It feels amazing. I wouldn’t say a perfect race because of lap one again, but it was still beautiful. The pace was strong, the car was unbelievable,” said Norris, who took his first win in Miami in May.

Tough but enjoyable

“I could push and get past Max. It was a straightforward race. Tough but enjoyable.”

Norris had started on pole position for the fourth time in his career and Sunday’s race on the breezy Dutch coast, in front of his rival’s Orange Army of fans, was the first time he had converted the advantage into victory.

It looked at the start that he might have thrown it away once again, the 24-year-old Briton making a sluggish start off the line as Verstappen hit the throttle and led decisively.

Norris also took a bonus point for fastest lap with a final flourish and was voted Driver of the Day by fans.

“You always hope to do better. We had a good start and tried everything we could but it was clear we were not quick enough,” said Verstappen.

Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri was fourth, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez sixth. The Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished seventh and eighth with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly ninth — and lapped — and Fernando Alonso taking the final point for Aston Martin.

The Results: 1. Norris (McLaren) 1h:30m:45.519s; 2. Verstappen (Red Bull) +22.896s; 3. Leclerc (Ferrari) +25.439; 4. Piastri (McLaren) +27.337; 5. Sainz (Ferrari) +32.137; 6. Perez (Red Bull) +39.542; 7. Russell (Mercedes) +44.617; 8. Hamilton (Mercedes) +49.599.

+1 lap: 9. Gasly (Alpine); 10. Alonso (Aston Martin); 11. Hulkenberg (Haas); 12. Ricciardo (RB); 13. Stroll (Aston Martin); 14. Albon (Williams); 15. Ocon (Alpine); 16. Sargeant (Williams); 17. Tsunoda (RB).

+2 laps: 18. Magnussen (Haas); 19. Bottas (Kick Sauber); 20. Zhou Guanyu (Kick Sauber)

Standings: Drivers: 1. Verstappen 295; 2. Norris 225; 3. Leclerc 192; 4. Piastri 179; 5. Sainz 172.

Constructors: 1. Red Bull Racing 434; 2. McLaren 404; 3. Ferrari 370; 4. Mercedes 276; 5. Aston Martin 74.

Alcaraz says he is fit after injury scare during training

Reuters

NEW YORK

The big one: Alcaraz chases a second U.S. Open title after winning in 2022.AFP

Carlos Alcaraz said he will be “at 100%” for the U.S. Open despite stopping his training here on Saturday as a precaution after twisting his ankle.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz has dealt with a number of injuries in recent times, including an ankle injury that forced him to withdraw in the Rio Open first round earlier this year.

Alcaraz’s injury worries returned on Saturday, leading him to suspend his training session with Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. However, the Spaniard said he never feared for his participation in tournament.

“I just stopped my practice for precaution. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to keep practising just in case if everything is going to be worse,” Alcaraz told a news conference. “A few hours later, I feel good, tomorrow I will try to be practising again without thinking about it. I wasn’t worried at all for my U.S. Open participation. Obviously I was angry because I don’t want to stop the practice, to respect Cerundolo, as well. Tomorrow or in two days, I’m going to be at my 100%, for sure. It’s about time.”

The 21-year-old begins on Tuesday against Australian Li Tu as he chases a second U.S. Open title after winning in 2022.

Alcaraz said he hoped to approach important matches with a better mentality following his disappointment at losing to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Olympics

“It was a difficult moment for me, losing the gold medal in a really close match that I had opportunities,” he said. “But in front of me I had a really good player and he deserved it.

“So days after the Olympics I realise that I won the silver, a great achievement that I have to be proud of. I try to keep going and learn about this. The next important matches of my career I will deal in a different way or a better way than I did in Olympics.”

Alcaraz, who last week lost to Gael Monfils in the Cincinnati Open’s round-of-32, said he is not worried about having played few hard-court matches ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam. “Heading into Roland Garros, I hadn’t played too many matches on clay, and it was a pretty good result. In Wimbledon, same thing,” added the Spaniard who has won the last two Majors.

Natasha and Aanya register two wins

Ashwin Achal

Bengaluru

Natasha.K. MURALI KUMAR

India’s Natasha Chethan notched up two wins in the group stage of the IBSF World under-21 women’s snooker championship at KSBA here on Sunday.

Natasha, who won bronze in the previous edition of the tournament, took out fellow Indian Sameeksha Devan and Iran’s Setayesh Amirazimi.

Natasha suffered an early setback against Setayesh, losing the first frame.

Bouncing back

Natasha climbed back into the contest in a close second frame, which went down to the black ball. Despite a couple of black ball fouls, Natasha was able to get the done in the decider.

Aanya Patel, another home favourite, also recorded two group stage wins. In the boys’ under-17 event, Jabez Naveen Kumar sailed through his Group ‘C’ engagements undefeated.

The results: Under-21: Women: Chan Wai Lam (HK) bt Jiya Sehgal 72-21, 51-36; R.T. Mohitha bt Shadi Najafi (Irn) 71-18, 56-23; Natasha Chethan bt Setayesh Amirazimi (Irn) 50-77, 48-39, 64-34.

Sameeksha Devan bt Noot Albalawi (KSA) 25-6, 22-10; Aanya Patel bt Melika Najafi (Irn) 83-15, 66-41; Narucha Phoemphul (Tha) bt Manar Albalawi (KSA) 80-9, 43-34.

Setayesh Amirazimi bt Noot Albalawi 47-16, 34-8; Natasha Chethan bt Sameeksha Devan 67-25, 33-59, 73-23; Melika Najafi bt Manar Albalawi 53-43, 55-27; Aanya Patel bt Snenthra Babu 60-19, 59-16.

Under-17: Boys: Parham Kazemimoghaddam (Irn) bt Mutasim Al Saadi (Omn) 83-48, 9-70, 31-66, 67-14, 66-43; Jabez Naveen Kumar bt Benyamin Gazavand (Irn) 69-30, 72-37, 58-29; Sky Chan (HK) bt Rahul Williams 70-45, 68-22, 54-66, 76-65.

Inter-Continental Cup in Hyderabad from Sept. 3

Sports Bureau

HYDERABAD

Hyderabad will host the fourth edition of the three-nation Inter-Continental Cup football championship at the G.M.C. Balayogi Stadium here from September 3 with India taking on Mauritius in the opener under floodlights, a senior official of Telangana Football Association (TFA) said.

The teams which will be in action besides the hosts are Mauritius and Syria.

“The return of an international football tournament to the City is largely possible because of the initiative of the AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and the all-out support extended by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who was a footballer himself,” the TFA official added.

“The State Government has spent about ₹15 crores to spruce up the facilities to meet FIFA standards, especially the dressing rooms, officials’ rooms and the 18,000 bucket-seats.

The tournament will be telecast on Sports 18 and streamed live on Jio Cinema.

Syria has a FIFA ranking of 93, followed by India (124) and Mauritius (179).

Two-time winner

India won the championship in 2018 and 2023 in Bhubaneshwar.

The team will arrive on August 31 for the preparatory camp under new head coach Manolo Marquez, who mentored Hyderabad FC in the ISL, including to a title-triumph.

The schedule: Sept. 3: India vs. Mauritius; Sept. 6: Syria vs. Mauritius; Sept. 9: India vs Syria.

All matches start at 7.30 p.m.

NEW DELHI: Nakhon Si Thammarat (Thailan):

95 Indian officials to accompany 84 athletes at the Paralympics

NEW DELHI: The 84-member Indian contingent taking part in the Paris Paralympics beginning on August 28 will be accompanied by 95 officials as many participants will have their personal coaches and escorts travelling with them to take care of their special needs.

Out of the 95, as many as 77 are team officials, nine are contingent medical officials and another nine contingent officials.

Vaishnavi Adkar goes down in the title clash

Nakhon Si Thammarat (Thailan): Fourth seed Patcharin Cheapchandej proved too strong for eighth seed Vaishnavi Adkar as she cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the final of the $15,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at here on Sunday.

The Thai converted three of five break points and did not face a single break point in the match.

Mayweather goes the distance against Gotti III

Former World boxing champion Floyd Mayweather went the distance against John Gotti III in an exhibition fight on Saturday night in Mexico City. The 47-year-old Mayweather fought Gotti in an eight-round fight with no judges in Arena Ciudad de Mexico. It was a rematch of a fight that ended in a massive brawl in Florida last June. Mayweather, who retired from boxing in 2017 with an unbeaten record in 50 bouts, dominated the fight from the second round. At the end of the fight, Mayweather and Gotti III embraced in the ring as Mexicans fans loudly booed.

Shuttler Tanvi Patri clinches Asian under-15 crown

India’s Tanvi Patri clinched the under-15 girls’ singles title at the Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 junior championships after she defeated Thi Thu Huyen Nguyen of Vietnam in straight games in the final in Chengdu, China on Sunday. The 13-year-old Tanvi, seeded No. 1, wrapped up the proceedings in just 34 minutes as she cruised to a 22-20, 21-11 win over her second-seeded opponent.

Gnana Dattu had won the bronze medal in the U-17 boys’ singles event on Saturday. Three other Indian players made it to the quarterfinals.

Ingebrigtsen and Duplantis break world records

1 of 2

2 of 2

Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke the 3,000m world record, while Olympic champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden improved his own pole vault world record by a centimetre, posting a mark of 6.26m, at the Silesia Diamond League meet in Poland on Sunday. Ingebrigtsen’s time of seven minutes 17.55 seconds beat the long-standing record of 7:20.67 set by Kenya’s Daniel Komen 1996. Avinash Sable finished 14th in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a timing of 8:29.96s. Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco triumphed in 8:04.29s

Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City to clash in season opener

Press Trust of India

Mumbai

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season will begin with a blockbuster clash between Shield winner Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Cup winner Mumbai City FC in Kolkata on September 13 in a repeat of last season’s final.

The ISL on Sunday announced the fixtures of the first 84 matches of the season, till the end of this year.

This season of the ISL will see 13 teams competing, with the addition of I-League champion Mohammedan Sporting Club.

With the entry of Mohammedan Sporting, the ISL will see the three most storied football clubs from Kolkata vying for the silverware.

Fans will witness six high-intensity Kolkata derbies through the season. The first two derbies are scheduled in October — Bagan vs Mohammedan on October 5 and East Bengal vs Bagan on October 19.

India clinches silver at Asian surfing championships

The Indian team of P. Kamali, Ajeesh Ali, D. Srikanth and Sanjay Selvamani clinched the silver medal at the Maruhaba Cup, a team event in the Asian surfing championships at the Thulusdhoo Island, Maldives, on Sunday.

In the title clash, India finished second with a team score of 24.13. Japan won the gold with 58.40.

Lakshya heads to Austria for physical assessment

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI

Aiming to be in the best shape for the upcoming tournaments in the BWF circuit, Lakshya Sen left for Austria on Sunday for a detailed evaluation of his body. The 22-year-old will undergo a series of tests at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg to get a detailed evaluation to rev up his fitness and game.

“Lakshya is going to Austria to do some physical assessment. There is a good sports institute where he wants to do some physical exercise. He left today and will be back after a week,” coach Vimal Kumar told PTI.

Alex Lanier clinches Japan Open badminton title

French teenager Alex Lanier captured his first major badminton trophy at the Japan Open on Sunday, defeating the experienced Taiwanese Chou Tien Chen 21-17, 22-20. The 19-year-old stunned the world with his winning march through the men’s singles, reaching the final after beating Chinese World No. 1 Shi Yuqi and Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia. Lanier, ranked 29th in the world, said he played the best badminton of his career and pledged to “achieve something really huge” at the Worlds.

For Shreyas Iyer, the time to walk the talk is now

R. Kaushik

The Mumbai batter has been around long enough to know that the only way he can influence selection is by stacking up a mountain of runs as he is an attractive stroke-maker who uses his height to great effect, is wonderfully nimble-footed, and his mastery of spin is second to none

1 of 3 K.V.S. GIRI

2 of 3 It’s just that when I go to hit some shots, you are bound to get out and sometimes it may work, sometimes it may not Shreyas On his alledged shortcomings against the shorter deliveries

3 of 3 K.R. DEEPAK

February 2024 was a month to forget for Shreyas Iyer. In the first week, he played himself out of the Test squad with the latest in a series of underwhelming performances in a 12-month period, dismissed for 27 and 29 in the second of five matches against England in Visakhapatnam. It extended his sequence of hits without a half-century in the five-day game to 12 innings, during which his highest was 35, in the preceding Test in Hyderabad.

In the last week of that same month, the right-hander from Mumbai played — or is it unplayed, if such a word exists? — himself out of the BCCI’s annual contracts list after skipping a couple of Ranji Trophy games for his state side despite the sport’s governing body in the country insisting that players put domestic cricket second only to playing for the national side.

Shreyas cited a recurring back issue to justify his absence, but the fact that he was training with his IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, during that same time didn’t go down well with the men who matter. Shreyas returned to play the final which Mumbai won, making a sparkling 95 in the second innings against Vidarbha, but the damage had already been done.

Race to resurrection

Six months on, the 29-year-old is in a race to resurrect his Test career. He hasn’t played a Twenty20 International since the tour of South Africa last December and was left out of the T20 World Cup-winning squad despite leading KKR to the IPL title last season and weighing in with 351 influential runs at an excellent strike-rate of 146.86.

And while he is still an integral part of the 50-over set-up, evidenced by his presence at the One-Day International series in Sri Lanka earlier this month, it’s the calling of the five-day game that appeals to him the most.

Shreyas’ return to the Test landscape won’t be straightforward. For one thing, he must prove, without a shadow of doubt, that his long-format mojo is still intact. His last year with the Indian Test team was fruitless from an individual perspective and, to an extent, a collective standpoint — India won only three out of seven outings, while losing at home to Australia (Indore) and England (Hyderabad) and to South Africa in Centurion.

Young batters

Once he went out of reckoning, a slew of younger batters made the most of their call-ups, not least his Mumbai mate Sarfaraz Khan, who has three half-centuries in his first five innings, and Devdutt Padikkal, whose only Test knock fetched him 65 against England in Dharamshala in March.

For the entire series against England, India was without Virat Kohli, away on paternity leave. K.L. Rahul, playing as a specialist batter after having kept wickets in South Africa, missed the last four Tests through injury, and while Rajat Patidar didn’t grab his chances, Sarfaraz, Padikkal and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel did more than enough to continue to figure prominently on the selection radar. Now that Kohli and Rahul are back in business, the magnitude of the task ahead of Shreyas has grown massively.

Difficult scenario

If India continues to play five specialist bowlers — and it’s difficult to imagine a change in tack despite Gautam Gambhir succeeding Rahul Dravid as the head coach — only one middle-order slot will be up for grabs behind skipper Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. There are a host of contenders for that solitary berth and Shreyas knows he isn’t quite at the top of that list. As such, September will offer him a grand opportunity to reiterate his credentials and his value to the team.

This edition of the Duleep Trophy will be thickly populated by India internationals, thanks to the BCCI’s policy of not allowing the stars to pick and choose their battles. The first round, starting on September 5 in Bengaluru and Anantapur, will see all but four — Rohit, Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and R. Ashwin — of the Test regulars in action.

Shreyas has been named captain of Team D; in the reasonably likely event of his non-inclusion for the Bangladesh Tests starting on September 19, he will play all three rounds, the last two in relative anonymity with the Test matches certain to garner precedence. Away from the spotlight, so to speak, Shreyas can go about his business without the attendant pressure of a million eyeballs on him. What he does of this next month, and the Ranji Trophy that will kick off in early October, will determine how his immediate red-ball future shapes up.

Banging start

Shreyas broke into Test cricket with a bang in November 2021, in Dravid’s first game in charge as Ravi Shastri’s successor. The rangy right-hander with a reputation for taking down spin of the highest quality with unmatched authority backed up 105 in the first innings against New Zealand in Kanpur (at the same Green Park arena where G.R. Vishwanath made a second-innings 137 on debut against Australia in 1969) with 65; he made four more scores in excess of 50 in his next nine innings, but since his 87 in Mirpur against Bangladesh in December 2022 — his second-innings 29 not out under tremendous pressure was crucial to victory alongside Ashwin’s unbeaten 42 — he has struggled to crack the Test code, stumbling from one poor outing to another.

It wasn’t long after the Bangladesh series that Shreyas’ back injury flared up. After non-surgical remedial measures failed, he was forced to go under the knife in London in April last year, which put his participation in the home 50-over World Cup in jeopardy. But so highly did Rohit and Dravid rate him as a one-day force that they were willing to walk the extra mile to accommodate him in their plans.

His return to play at the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka last August-September was marred by a flare-up of the back on the eve of India’s first Super Four outing against Pakistan, which tested the leadership group’s patience and resolve.

Form and fitness

But towards the end of September, Shreyas proved his form and fitness with 105 and 48 in consecutive matches against Australia; at the World Cup, he justified the faith shown by the think-tank with several stunning knocks including back-to-back hundreds against Netherlands and in the semifinal against New Zealand, though like most of his colleagues, he too failed to get going in the final against Australia, dismissed for just four.

Shreyas has been upstaged in the T20 scheme of things by a set of more attacking batters who have another string to their bow. He might still nurture aspirations of breaking back into the shortest format and the IPL, as much as any other event including the inter-state Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament, will provide him the platform to state his case, but having had a taste of Test cricket, and not too unsuccessfully at that, Shreyas will be keen to regain his place in the five-day ecosystem.

Much to his annoyance, Shreyas has been saddled with the reputation of being suspect against the short ball, not unlike Suresh Raina more than a decade and a bit back. Oppositions haven’t been chary of testing him repeatedly and he hasn’t always come up trumps, often getting into awkward positions or holing out in attempting to impose his authority without actually being in control.

Taking offence

At the home World Cup, he took offence when confronted with a direct question on his discomfort against the short stuff, but conceded during a rambling reply, “It’s just that when I go to hit some shots, you are bound to get out and sometimes it may work, sometimes it may not. And majority of the times it hasn’t worked for me, maybe that’s the reason you think it’s a problem for me. But in my mind, I know there’s no problem.”

It’s one thing to have that confidence, it’s quite another to use it to good effect out in the middle. At the conclusion of the home international Test season in early November, India has a sequence of 10 — and maybe 11, if it reaches the final of the World Test —Championship for a third successive time — overseas Tests lined up, equally split between Australia and England. That’s a lot of cricket in a not-very-long span of time, split by the ICC Champions Trophy and the IPL. If Shreyas desires to be on the flight to Australia and / or England, the time to walk the talk is now.

When he is firing on all cylinders, Shreyas is an absolute delight to watch. An attractive stroke-maker who uses his height to great effect and is wonderfully nimble-footed, his mastery of spin is second to none and stems from his sustained breeding in Indian domestic cricket.

Small sample size

That’s not to say that he isn’t at home against fast bowling; like most top batters of any generation from any part of the world, the moving ball does throw up probing questions and the short one challenges him more than any other delivery, but he has played only three Tests overseas and it will be unfair to judge him on that small sample size.

Whether there is a greater dataset in 12 months’ time, however, remains to be seen. Shreyas has been around long enough to know that the only way he can influence selection is by stacking up a mountain of runs and then hoping for the best. A good friend recently referred to him as an enigma and an enchanter; more of the latter and less of the former will work quite nicely, thank you.

Table of Contents

The Hindu

National

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SIT to investigate alleged sexual abuse in Malayalam film industry

With hundreds stranded in Brazil, India to broach topic with Minister

CBI completes polygraph test in Kolkata rape-murder

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‘Anil Ambani reviewing SEBI order, to take appropriate steps’

Adoption rate of children with special needs remains low

Central trade unions are waiting for fine print of Unified Pension Scheme

With Unified Pension Scheme, BJP-led govt. seeks to pull out a plank of the Opposition

Congress to continue to frame social justice as centrepiece of its politics

Gang rape of girl in Assam triggers a war of words between Congress, BJP

2024 verdict forced Centre’s U-turn on pensions: Kharge

At party meeting in Ranchi, Chirag Paswan unanimously re-elected LJP(RV) president

Bihar polls: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj to contest all seats

Mayawati rules out future poll alliances with Congress, SP

Tax demands over non-linked PANs leave firms in tight spot

Classical language centres ask for autonomy

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Large number of youth eager to join politics, says Modi

Drug money is endangering security and economy: Shah

The birth of Lord Krishna

Warship INS Mumbai to make first visit to Sri Lanka today

ONGC opens well in KG field to raise oil production

Regional

Omar asks PDP not to field nominees, thanks Shah for ‘noticing’ NC poll manifesto

DMK’s allies say govt. must refrain from holding or promoting religious events

Murugan conference is also about Tamil culture: Udhayanidhi

Debts have increased under BJP regime, says Palaniswami

Senior BJP leaders booked after scuffle with police in Ranchi

Dip in patients in State-run hospitals in West Bengal as resident doctors continue strike

Kerala Governor seeks Calicut varsity V-C’s explanation over ‘faulty’ hiring

BJP offering ₹100 cr. to our MLAs to switch sides: Cong.

AAP names 3 candidates for Maharashtra Assembly poll

Murder of youth triggers tension in Odisha town

Kerala to hold post-disaster needs assessment in Wayanad

Telangana in favour of holistic resolution of disputes on power dues with Andhra Pradesh

‘MeToo’ moment in Malayalam film industry puts LDF govt. on back foot

Central team visits Tirupati to assess feasibility of multimodal bus station

Reimagining the tapestry of life in countryside through art in Auroville

NGT overturns memo from TNPCB offering leniency to brick kilns

BJP MP questions land allotment to Kharge family’s trust

Heavy rain leads to flooding in Gujarat

Two held for ₹175 crore online scam in Hyderabad

When justice is served to the anonymous

The rise and rise of red sanders mafia

Science

Frequent mass wasting in Tibet a cause for worry in India

BIG SHOT

Sonoluminescence: a little light

Edit

Reality of reel life, exploitation as a structural problem

New-age gateway devices, the latest health threat

letters to the editor

Middle path

Catalyst for change

Indians who migrate abroad double their incomes

Investing in persons with disabilities

The polity of J&K is at an inflection point

When U.S. Generals were watched

Alliance bank

On West Bengal’s civic police volunteers

What did the 2013 panel say on death penalty for rape?

Tackling the frictions in cross-border payments: a call for innovative solutions

A quiz on the U.S. Open, the final tennis Major of the year, that gets underway today

Things between us have soured

Business

High risk and high reward bets can be a losing strategy

Port to own plan from group plan

Decode new age risk in investments

Berger Paints expands canvas at 100

Bold new stitch: The ‘complete man’ gets a complete makeover

Banks lose out to MFs despite offering higher interest

Why many prefer private debt to bank loans

Foreign

No one will be discriminated on the basis of their religion in Bangladesh, says Yunus

Deluge in Indonesia

Strikes in Lebanon ‘not the final word’, warns Netanyahu

China and Philippines clash in South China Sea yet again

Telegram CEO held at Paris airport as Russia slams arrest

Harris campaign says it raised $540 million in just over a month

12 pilgrims headed for Iran among 36 dead in Pakistan bus crashes

Syrian suspect has confessed to knife rampage: German police

UN 'concerned' by Taliban’s new morality law in Afghanistan

Efforts to restore ties with Turkiye have yielded no results, says Assad

China slams latest round of sanctions from U.S.

NASA deems use of Boeing capsule risky, set to keep 2 astronauts in space till Feb.

After a traumatic fortnight, media in Bangladesh slowly returning to normal

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh mark anniversary of their exodus

Down memory lane

Mobile pools offer relief to children in north Syria camps

Sports

Djokovic eyes a Slam record, Sinner faces doping fallout

Aronyak beats Arjun, moves to the sole second spot

Chennai Lions wins needle clash against Dabang Delhi

Barter zooms to victory in second & third races

Chelsea romps past a hapless Wolves

Inspired Bangladesh secures first Test victory over Pakistan

Happy that this win will give Bangladesh a bit of a smile: Shanto

Hull replaces injured Wood in England squad for last two Tests

Fatima named Pakistan skipper for Women’s T20 World Cup

Flintoff and Knott bowl Australia-A to 45-run win

India u-17 football team goes down to Indonesia

Brilliant Norris consigns Verstappen to his first-ever loss at home

Alcaraz says he is fit after injury scare during training

Natasha and Aanya register two wins

Inter-Continental Cup in Hyderabad from Sept. 3

SnapShots

Mayweather goes the distance against Gotti III

Shuttler Tanvi Patri clinches Asian under-15 crown

Ingebrigtsen and Duplantis break world records

Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City to clash in season opener

India clinches silver at Asian surfing championships

Lakshya heads to Austria for physical assessment

Alex Lanier clinches Japan Open badminton title

For Shreyas Iyer, the time to walk the talk is now